Your vitamin D levels in midlife could shape your brain decades later
Why it matters: Higher vitamin D levels in midlife could reduce tau protein, a key dementia marker, for nearly 800 people over 16 years.
- Higher vitamin D levels in individuals in their 30s and 40s were linked to lower levels of tau protein 16 years later, according to research published in Neurology Open Access.
- Martin David Mulligan, MB BCh BAO, of the University of Galway, suggests that maintaining adequate vitamin D in midlife might protect against tau deposits and could be a treatable risk factor for dementia.
- The study followed 793 adults for 16 years, measuring vitamin D at the outset and brain biomarkers later, finding no link between vitamin D and amyloid beta protein levels.
- A significant portion (34%) of participants had low vitamin D levels, with only 5% reporting supplement use, highlighting a potential widespread deficiency.
A new study reveals that higher vitamin D levels in midlife are associated with significantly lower levels of tau protein, a key biomarker for dementia, decades later. While the American Academy of Neurology emphasizes this is a correlation, not direct proof, it suggests vitamin D could be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
