While many people are aware of the importance of getting enough daily vitamin D, Alzheimer’s caregivers may be interested in learning about a study that revealed a deficiency in vitamin D could be a factor in the development of Alzheimer’s related dementia.
In the United States, a large percentage of the population is believed to suffer from symptoms related to vitamin D deficiency. It’s estimated that the number could be as high as 75% of the population not getting enough of this vital nutrient each day.
Experts have known for some time that a deficiency of Vitamin D may contribute to various health conditions, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, asthma or even cancer. But recent studies indicate that a lack of vitamin D may also play a role in the prevention of diseases including, diabetes, hypertension and even Alzheimer’s dementia.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is not a single nutrient, but rather a group of nutrients called “secosteroids.” Vitamin D is necessary for proper absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc. With regular exposure to the sun during the spring, summer and early fall seasons, the body can produce and store sufficient amounts of vitamin D to last throughout the year (including winter). The problem is that sun exposure has been linked to skin cancer, so medical experts advise that people get sufficient vitamin D from food and supplement sources. But there are very few natural food sources of vitamin D. This is the reason vitamin D supplementation is so popular. There are 2 types of vitamin D including D3 (also called cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2. Cholecalciferol can be produced industrially from fish oil or from lanolin harvested from sheep’s wool.
Sources of Vitamin D
While many experts disagree on how much vitamin D is enough, they all agree that too much could potentially be toxic. According to Michael Holick, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at Boston University Medical Center (expert on vitamin D), 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D is recommended for adults… “unless they’re getting plenty of safe sun exposure,” says Holick. The primary source of vitamin D is the sun. For those who live in cold winter or rainy climates, getting enough vitamin D from the sun is not usually an option. Other sources of vitamin D include:
-Vitamin D enriched milk-100 IU/glass
-Cod liver oil-1,360 IU per tablespoon
-Eggs (2 large egg yolks 57 to 88 IU)
-Fatty wild caught fish (salmon, trout and tuna)-450 IU/1 fillet
-Vitamin D Supplements (liquid or soft gels)
Vitamin D in Mushrooms
Mushrooms are thought to be a pretty good source of vitamin D, and although they highly nutritious, the type of vitamin D they supply is D2, not D3. Vitamin D3 is derived only from animal sources such as fish, cheese and eggs, and it’s the type of D vitamin required for proper calcium absorption (for strong bones). So eat plenty of healthy mushrooms, but just don’t count on them as a healthy source of vitamin D3.
Clinical Studies: Vitamin D and Dementia
In a recent 6-year study at the University of Exeter Medical School, over 1,600 senior adults were observed. The study participants who were deficient in vitamin D were over 2 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than those who took an ample supply of vitamin D each day. Those who were slightly vitamin D deficient had an increased risk of 53 percent and those in the study who were severely deficient had a 125 percent increased risk of developing dementia.
“We expected to find an association between low vitamin D levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but the results were surprising; we actually found that the association was twice as strong as we anticipated,” said David Llewellyn, lead author of the study.
The study results point to a strong link between dementia and vitamin D deficiency, but more clinical trials are needed to discover whether administration of vitamin D can help to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
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