You can have enough vitamin D in your blood, have insufficient levels, or really lack it (deficiency). In this study from University California Davis and Rutgers University having low levels of vitamin D accelerated cognitive decline dramatically – at three times a faster rate compared to those with adequate levels.

The Study

The researchers analyzed data from 382 diverse men and women with an average age of 76 at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Sacramento. The participants had normal cognitive function or had either mild cognitive impairment which increases the risk for Alzheimer’, or were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Twenty-six percent of participants were vitamin D deficient and 35% were insufficient. Fifty-four percent of Caucasians and 70% of African Americans and Hispanics had low vitamin D. The rate of cognitive decline was two-to-three times faster in the vitamin D deficient people over a five-year period. The study is published in JAMA Neurology.

More about Vitamin D

Vitamin D has become one of the most highly recommended dietary supplements over the last few years by healthcare professionals. Though not technically an essential vitamin, since the body naturally synthesizes the “sunshine vitamin” through a chemical reaction between the sun’s UV rays and the cholesterol on your skin, it has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiencies. This is due to a combination of factors: low levels of sunlight for most of the year, obesity, sun avoidance, and low consumption of foods high in the vitamin such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines). Inadequate levels in the body often leads to conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia, which bring on symptoms like bone and muscle pain, enlarged joints, and easily fractured bones. Given the high prevalence of this deficiency, this could be the most essential of all the conditionally essential vitamins.

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