Vitamin D found in fish boosts brain power
Eating fish ? long considered ?brain food? ? may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.
University of Manchester scientists in collaboration with colleagues from other European centres have shown that higher levels of vitamin D ? primarily synthesised in the skin following sun exposure but also found in certain foods such as oily fish ? are associated with improved cognitive function in middle-aged and older men.
The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 years at eight test centres across Europe.
The researchers found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in a simple and sensitive neuropsychological test that assesses an individual?s attention and speed of information processing.
?Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings but we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D,? said lead author Dr David Lee, in Manchester?s School of Translational Medicine.
?The main strengths of our study are that it is based on a large population sample and took into account potential interfering factors, such as depression, season and levels of physical activity.
?Interestingly, the association between increased vitamin D and faster information processing was more significant in men aged over 60 years, although the biological reasons for this remain unclear.?
?The positive effects vitamin D appears to have on the brain need to be explored further but certainly raise questions about its potential benefit for minimising ageing-related declines in cognitive performance.?
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Notes for editors:
The eight centres testing volunteers for the study are all enrolled in the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) and are located in Florence (Italy), Leuven (Belgium), Lodz (Poland), Malmö (Sweden), Manchester (UK), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Szeged (Hungary) and Tartu (Estonia).
EMAS is funded by the Commission of the European Communities Fifth Framework Program.
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May 20, 2009
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Comments
Vitamin D levels essential to good health
June 13, 2009 by Anonymous, 24 weeks 1 day ago
Comment: 37239
I have first hand experience with lowered Vitamin D levels.
9/11/91 Post near total thyroidectomy and examination finding 2 parathyroid glands in the frozen section after cancer was wrapped around my vocal chords, Dr. M Gooch my endocrinologist stated "my bones were like someone who lived in a nursing home for one year without sun."
My situation was complicated by by an abusive marriage and an abusive church supporting my ex-husband in doing whatever he ___ well pleased.
Even though my doctor specialist brother -in- law was doing bone marrow transplants at Sloan Kettering, Cancer Center in New York and monitoring hundreds of patients and had to be aware of Vitamin D levels, the medicine I needed to stay alive of Vitamin D by prescription was denied me by family help and the abusive relations of my previous circle. My ex husband continued to use my medical needs as a form of extortion to extract child support if I was working and not dead or near to dead.
The church I had associated with its lengthy history of support for other abusers and support to those sexually abusing children used this weapon of my severe Vitamin D deficiency to try to silence me even after I escaped the strangling hands of the abuser and his threats. The church employing my ex husband and confirmed sexual abuser removed me from the health insurance plan and denied me medical care and housing, although I was a life long missionary.
As a licensed nurse with training in anatomy and physiology I used those principles I best knew about to survive under I could finally in 2007 access care through Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and a specialist in hypocalcemia Dr. Licata. After getting the treatment I needed through this great specialist in hypocalcemia, Dr. Licata was able to see my bones had filled in and now were like a person of a younger age. My parathyroid was again functioning and I was on the road to recovery.
I am very interested in spreading the word about good nutrition, absorbtion issues and
making a testimony about the value of having your Vitamin D levels checked just as one has their blood sugar tested. I am currently opening my schedule for talks that may also be combined with singing and leadership in survival through faith and hope.
You can contact me at HappyNotesOnline@yahoo.com.
Carol
Grassrootshealth
May 21, 2009 by Anonymous, 27 weeks 3 days ago
Comment: 36762
May I draw readers attention to the charity Grassrootshealth.org that have a good series of videos by the world's leading vitamin D scientists.
They also have an interesting chart showing Disease Incidence levels by Vitamin D status.
http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=6065
They are currently trying to recruit 10,000 people into a 25(OH)D testing regime so they can monitor disease incidence in relation to supplement use and Vitamin D status.
Ideally they hope people will sign up for the full 5 yrs and have 25(OH)D tests twice yearly throughout that period.
The tests are a very simple finger prick (spring loaded lancet provided) and 2 drops of blood on sample sheet. This is posted back to them and in a few days you are notified of the results online.
It cost $40 a test but that is not a lot to have your Vitamin D status monitored for a period to check what intake your body requires to stay above the level associated with most chronic illness. You can just participate for one test you are not obliged to go the whole 5 yrs.
As UK readers cannot get Vitamin D from Sunlight between October and February, and from March to September cloud/wind often prevent full body midday sun exposure when UVB reaches the ground with it's highest ratio of UVB<>UVA, it may be worth pointing out that 5000iu Vitamin D supplements are very cheap and easy to obtain for USA online providers.
The Vitamin D Council also has links to cheap sources of supply.
Bear in mind that the best sources of Vitamin D from diet are oily fish that can provide around 400iu a portion however the human body uses around 5000iu/daily/D3 and no one is going to be able to consume 12 portions of salmon/sardines every day of their lives, or realistically get more than 10% of their body's daily need from dietary sources.
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