Vitamin D boosts brain power in middle-aged
men
WASHINGTON (AFP) - - Higher levels of vitamin D, synthesized in
the skin after being exposed to the sun and found in oily fish, are
associated with increased brain power among middle-aged men,
according to a new British study.
The link between increased vitamin D and faster information
processing "was more significant in men aged over 60 years old,
although the biological reasons for this remain unclear," read the
report, to appear in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of
Manchester, in collaboration with other European specialists,
compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men between
the ages of 40 and 79 years.
Men with higher levels of vitamin D "performed consistently
better in a simple and sensitive neuropsychological test that
assesses an individual's attention and speed of information
processing," the study showed.
Resarchers "observed a significant, independent association
between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of
vitamin D," said lead author David Lee at Manchesters School of
Translational Medicine.
The study is based on a large population sample and took into
account other possible factors, such as depression, season and
levels of physical activity.
The main source of vitamin D is 10 to 15 minutes daily exposure
to sunlight. Oily fish are also an excellent source of vitamin
D.
A separate 2008 study by researchers in Amsterdam showed that a
lack of vitamin D could increase the risk of depression or other
psychiatric problems among older people.
--AFP