The older you are, the better the chance that you’re running low on vitamin D. We’ve long known that “D” is essential for strong bones, and recent studies have linked low levels to Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, psoriasis, several autoimmune diseases (including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis), and as many as 18 different cancers.

And now a new study from the University of Kentucky has found that a deficiency of vitamin D can damage the brain, at least in rats.

The Kentucky research team found that middle-aged rats fed a diet deficient in vitamin D for several months developed damage from the formation of free radicals in the brain, altering many different brain proteins and leading to a significant decrease in cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory. Lead researcher Allan Butterfield noted that vitamin D deficiency is widespread worldwide, particularly among seniors.

He advised having your vitamin D levels checked, and if the test reveals low levels, eating foods rich in “D (fortified foods, eggs, salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines), taking vitamin D supplements and getting at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily (without sunscreen and exposing as much of your body as weather permits).

Source:
D. Allan Butterfield et al, “Dietary vitamin D deficiency in rats from middle to old age leads to elevated tyrosine nitration and proteomics changes in levels of key proteins in brain: Implications for low vitamin D-dependent age-related cognitive decline”. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2013; 65: 324 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.07.019