Latest Study: Vitamin D Could Stave Off Alzheimer's, Promote Brain Function

Brains with higher levels of vitamin D function better.

Vitamin D is essential for numerous bodily functions, including immune responses and maintaining healthy bones. Some of us may be aware that we can produce the vitamin by simply exposing ourselves to sunlight.

People can also increase their Vitamin D intake by eating certain food groups or taking supplements. According to a recent study, Vitamin D may also be beneficial in treating and preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Combatting Alzheimer's with Vitamin D

Vitamin D supplements can aid in preventing Alzheimer's disease, according to a story from the Independent. This claim is from a newly released research. The study also discovered that older people with high vitamin D levels had improved cognitive function.

According to Dr. Sarah Booth, a corresponding author, this study highlights the value of researching how nutrition and diet build resistance to safeguard the aging brain from conditions like Alzheimer's and other related dementias.

The study, which started in 1997, says that better cognitive function was associated with four brain regions with higher vitamin D levels.

Two of the four areas of the brain that the researchers looked at are linked to alterations related to Alzheimer's, one is connected to dementia types around blood flow, and one has no known links to cognitive decline related to vascular illness or Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is a progressive brain condition that gradually weakens a person's memory and cognitive functions. The condition substantially impairs their capacity to perform basic daily duties in its later stages.

According to the same study, there are an estimated 55 million dementia patients globally, a figure that is predicted to grow as the world's population ages. By 2050, there will be more than 150 million cases worldwide. Additionally, with no treatment in sight, prevention strategies, including lifestyle choices, are receiving more attention.

However, the levels of vitamin D in the brain did not correlate with any of the physiological indicators of Alzheimer's disease in the brain under examination, such as the accumulation of amyloid plaques, Lewy body disease, or signs of chronic or microscopic strokes. According to scientists, it is still unknown exactly how vitamin D might impact brain function.

A separate study, based on data from cohort studies and animal models, claims that vitamin D administration affects the course of Alzheimer's disease.

As per this aging cell study, despite epidemiological evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to Alzheimer's disease, supplementing with vitamin D increased both the severity of the condition and the likelihood of developing it.

Continued Efforts

Along with the introduction of new medications, medical professionals have also utilized technology to help people overcome the challenges that the disease presents.

Following previous reports, the clinical-stage company Cognito Therapeutics secured a large-scale trial to treat Alzheimer's disease using a device instead of drugs.

Around 500 Americans will take part in the aforementioned large-scale experiment that the corporation has secured.

In other news, Boston University School of Medicine researchers are working on a novel AI for Alzheimer's diagnosis (BUSM).

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