Vitamins D and E May Lower Dementia Risk

From Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine:
Two new studies from JAMA/Archives publications explore the positive effect of certain vitamins on cognitive decline in the elderly. The first study suggests that low blood levels of vitamin D may increase risk for cognitive decline, and the other demonstrates that a diet rich in vitamin E may reduce the risk for age-related dementia.

Published in Archives of Internal Medicine, the vitamin D study notes that of the 858 adults aged 65 years and older who participated in the 6-year study, those with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D (defined as less than 25 nmol/L of blood) were 60% more likely to show signs of general cognitive decline than their counterparts who had sufficient blood levels of vitamin D. The low–vitamin D group was also 31% more likely to show declines in their abilities to plan, organize, and prioritize. According to the literature accompanying the study, between 40% and 100% of older adults in the United States and Europe may be vitamin D–deficient. This research raises the possibility that vitamin D supplementation may actually defend the brain against dementia, though further clinical trials are needed to confirm these results and to assess safe and effective dosages.

The second study, published in the Archives of Neurology, determined that a vitamin E–rich diet may lower the risk of adults developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In the study of 5395 people aged 55 years and older, those with the most vitamin E in their diet (18.5 mg/d on average) were 25% less likely to develop dementia than their counterparts who had the least vitamin E in their diets (9 mg/d or less). The research team followed the study participants for 9.6 years, during which time 465 participants developed dementia, including 365 cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Although the study also traced how much vitamin C, beta-carotene, and flavonoids each participant consumed, only high levels of dietary vitamin E seemed to be related to protection against dementia.

Despite the promising results, the researchers involved in these two studies caution that it is still too early to make any blanket recommendations about what individuals should eat or which supplements they should take to reduce their risks for age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

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