A new study suggests that vitamin D supplements may slow the onset of dementia.
Researchers in Canada and the UK said they found a link between vitamin D supplementation and longer life without the ravages of dementia in a large-scale study of more than 12,000 people. The results revealed 40% fewer dementia diagnoses among those who took vitamins in the group of 4,637 people than in the remaining group, writes UPI.
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Researchers from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter in the UK said the participants had an average age of 71 and did not have dementia at the time of enrollment.
“We know that vitamin D has some effect on the brain, which may be relevant for reducing dementia, but so far, studies have been inconsistent,” study leader Zahinor Ismail, from the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter, said in a statement.
“Our results provide key insights into groups that may be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence that earlier supplementation may be particularly beneficial, before cognitive decline begins.”
According to the study, 2696 participants developed dementia within 10 years. In this 2017 cohort (75%) were not exposed to vitamin D at all pre-diagnosis visits, and 679 (25%) were exposed at baseline.
“Preventing or even delaying the onset of dementia is vital given the growing number of people affected,” co-author Byron Kreese of the University of Exeter said in a statement. dementia, but now we need clinical trials to confirm if this is true.”
This study follows two other studies from November that found that social isolation significantly increases risk factors for dementia in older people. Research has shown that they have been helped by using technology to encourage older people to send text messages and emails to stay connected.
Focus has previously written about how dementia can be caused by certain medications. People who regularly take laxatives may be at greater risk of developing dementia. The new study also found that people who used multiple laxatives had an even higher risk.
