According to a recent study, higher levels of vitamin D in the brain are associated with better cognitive function, which may also play a role in dementia. However, exactly how the connection is established is still unclear.
Researchers at Tufts University examined vitamin D levels in brain tissue and were able to show that there is a connection with cognitive functions. The corresponding study results are published in the specialist magazine “Alzheimer’s & Dementia”.
Dementia a growing problem
Millions of people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia – and the number of sufferers is expected to rise sharply in the coming decades due to demographic changes.
Although some progress has been made in understanding the disease in recent years and a research team from King’s College London recently reported on a previously unknown cause and new therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s, the specific triggers and possible preventive factors still remain largely unclear.
Vitamin D in the brain?
In the new study, the team has now demonstrated for the first time to what extent vitamin D levels in brain tissue influence cognitive functions.
“Many studies have linked dietary or nutritional factors to cognitive performance in older adults, including many studies on vitamin D, but all are based on either dietary intake or blood measurements of vitamin D,” said study author Prof. Dr. Kyla Shea.
“We wanted to know whether vitamin D is even present in the brain and, if so, how these concentrations are related to cognitive decline,” adds the researcher.
Brain tissue samples examined
Using brain tissue samples from 290 deceased participants from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-term study on Alzheimer’s in which cognitive functions were also recorded, the researchers now tried to answer these questions.
To do this, the experts looked for vitamin D in four regions of the brain, with changes in two of these regions also being linked to Alzheimer’s disease and one being linked to other forms of dementia.
Relation to cognitive functions
In fact, the team was able to detect vitamin D in the brain tissue samples and, according to the researchers, high vitamin D levels correlated with better cognitive functions in all four regions of the brain examined.
However, there was no connection between vitamin D levels in the brain and physiological markers of Alzheimer’s disease such as the formation of amyloid plaques. How exactly vitamin D influences brain functions remains unclear.
“This research highlights the importance of studying how food and nutrients create resilience to protect the aging brain from diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias,” emphasizes study author Dr. Sarah Booth.
Further studies required
Further studies now need to examine the extent to which vitamin D can contribute to the prevention of dementia and which mechanisms are crucial. However, experts warn against taking high doses of vitamin D supplements as a preventive measure, as this can also have harmful effects.
The vitamin D level should first be determined by a doctor before taking vitamin D preparations. However, there are no objections to intake from foods containing vitamin D. (fp)