Adults who have a high deficiency of vitamin D could be more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology.
According to lead researcher David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter Medical School, the scientists in the study expected to see an association between low vitamin D and dementia, but the results were more than that – the association was twice as strong as they expected.
Cod liver oil pills
Llewellyn looked at about five years of data on 1700 Americans that were 65 or older, who took part in a recent cardiovascular health study. He and his researchers found those who were only moderately deficient in the vitamin had a 53% higher risk for getting dementia. The risk soared to 125% for people with a severe deficiency. For Alzheimer’s disease specifically, it was found that moderately deficient seniors had a 69% higher risk, and those who were severely deficient had a 122% increased risk.
The researcher stated that more clinical trials are needed to see whether eating foods including oily fish, or just taking vitamin D supplements is enough to delay or prevent the onset of dementia. He noted that it is important to be cautious at this early stage of research, and the results do not show that low vitamin D causes Alzheimer’s. Still he said that the findings are highly encouraging and even if only a few people see a benefit, it still could have a huge impact upon public health, given how devastating dementia can be.
If you want to boost your daily intake of vitamin D, eat more of these foods:
- Dairy products including milk and cheese
- Fatty fish including tuna, cod, salmon and mackerel
- Beef liver
- Oysters
- Caviar
- Egg yolks
Alzheimer’s Supplies for Dining
For people who already have developed dementia, it still is incredibly important to eat well to stay as healthy and strong as possible. There are many inexpensive products that you can buy to make it easier to keep them in good health. Our Melaware Cutlery Adapted Dining Utensils make it easier for those with dementia to eat their meals:
Our Evo OT Ware Utensil Set has a large, textured and ergonomically shaped handle to make it easy to grasp. The red color makes them easy to see:
