A new study led by University of Kentucky researchers suggests that a diet low in vitamin D causes damage to the brain.
Published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine,
the UK study showed that middle-aged rats that were fed a diet low in
vitamin D for several months developed free radical damage to the brain,
and many different brain proteins were damaged as identified by redox
proteomics. These rats also showed a significant decrease in cognitive
performance on tests of learning and memory.
“Given
that vitamin D deficiency is especially widespread among the elderly, we
investigated how during aging from middle-age to old-age how low
vitamin D affected the oxidative status of the brain,” said lead author
on the paper Allan Butterfield, professor in the UK Department of
Chemistry, director of the Center of Membrane Sciences, faculty of
Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and director of the Free Radical Biology
in Cancer Core of the Markey Cancer Center. “Adequate vitamin D serum
levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in brain and
subsequent deleterious consequences.”
Previously, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s also been linked to the development of certain cancers and heart disease. In both the developed world and in areas of economic hardship where food intake is not always the most nutritious, vitamin D levels in humans are often low, particularly in the elderly population.
Butterfield recommends persons consult their physicians to have their vitamin D levels determined, and if low that they eat foods rich in vitamin D, take vitamin D supplements, and/or get at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day to ensure that vitamin D levels are normalized and remain so to help protect the brain.
In
addition to being essential for maintaining bone health, newer evidence
shows that vitamin D serves important roles in other organs and tissue,
including the brain.
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| Research - Low Vitamin D Causes Damage to Brain |
Previously,
low levels of vitamin D have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease,
and it’s also been linked to the development of certain cancers and
heart disease. This image shows both a healthy brain slice and a brain
slice from a person with severe Alzheimer’s disease.
Previously, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s also been linked to the development of certain cancers and heart disease. In both the developed world and in areas of economic hardship where food intake is not always the most nutritious, vitamin D levels in humans are often low, particularly in the elderly population.
Butterfield recommends persons consult their physicians to have their vitamin D levels determined, and if low that they eat foods rich in vitamin D, take vitamin D supplements, and/or get at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day to ensure that vitamin D levels are normalized and remain so to help protect the brain.
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