Vitamins E, D May Help Nurish Brain Health

3 studies show links between levels of the nutrients and odds for dementia, Parkinson's

Three new studies suggest that vitamins D and E might help keep our minds sharper, aid in warding off dementia, and even offer some protection against Parkinson's disease, although much more research is needed to confirm the findings.
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In one trial, British researchers tied low levels of vitamin D to higher odds of developing dementia, while a Dutch study found that people with diets rich in vitamin E had a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Finally, a study released by Finnish researchers linked high blood levels of vitamin D to a lower risk of Parkinson's disease.

In the first report, published in the July 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a research team led by David J. Llewellyn of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom found that among 858 older adults, those with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to develop dementia.

In fact, people who had blood levels of vitamin D lower than 25 nanomoles per liter were 60 percent more likely to develop substantial declines overall in thinking, learning and memory over the six years of the study.

In addition, they were 31 percent more likely to have lower scores in the test measuring "executive function" than those with sufficient vitamin D levels, while levels of attention remained unaffected, the researchers found. ("Executive function" is a set of high-level cognitive abilities that help people organize, prioritize, adapt to change and plan for the future.)

"The association remained significant after adjustment for a wide range of potential [factors], and when analyses were restricted to elderly subjects who were non-demented at baseline," Llewellyn's team wrote.

The possible role of vitamin D in preventing other illnesses has been investigated by other researchers, but one expert cautioned that the evidence for taking vitamin D supplements is still unproven.

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source: health.usnews