Lack of vitamin D memory loss
Scientists at London’s Kingston University have uncovered evidence that lack of a particular form of vitamin D is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers spent six months analysing blood samples from patients with Alzheimer’s.
Scientists at London’s Kingston University have uncovered evidence that lack of a particular form of vitamin D is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Working in collaboration with researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation, the Kingston researchers spent six months analysing blood samples from patients with Alzheimer’s.
They compared test results from those not being treated with any drugs to those from people on medication and a further group who did not have the condition.
Lead researcher, Professor Declan Naughton, from Kingston University’s School of Life Sciences, said the results revealed some important facts.
Alzheimer’s patients who were not using medication had very poor stores of vitamin D2 – the type originating from food such as oily fish, rather than that obtained from exposure to the sun.
“The vitamin was either non-existent or in such low quantities that it could barely be measured,” he explained.
“In comparison, people in the study who were either being treated with drugs to control their Alzheimer’s or who didn’t have the condition at all showed far higher levels.”
The scientists found indications that Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors – used to treat the early stages of Alzheimer’s – might play a role in ‘switching on’ the body’s absorption of vitamin D2.
Vitamin D plays a key role in the development of healthy bodies. It can help to form and maintain strong teeth and bones and is thought to protect against a number of diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular conditions and neurological problems.
