According to a new study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, rats who were fed diets low in vitamin D for a long period of time developed free radical brain damage and performed poorly in cognitive functioning tests compared to rats fed a normal diet, Medical News Today reported.
The researchers also found that the rats who were vitamin D deficient had significantly higher levels of several other brain proteins, which potentially contributed to significant nitrosative stress in the brain.
Although this study was performed on rodents, the researchers argued that with vitamin D deficiency increasing in the United States, its potential effects on the aging population should not go overlooked.
The lead author Allan Butterfield, professor in the U.K. Department of Chemistry and director of the Center of Membrane Sciences said, “Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in brain and subsequent deleterious consequences."
Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter