Vitamin D Can Increase Brain Function
Eating Fish or Sitting in the Sun Can Make You Smarter
May 23, 2009
The study, from the University of Manchester, was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. It looked at more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 and found that those who had higher levels of vitamin D did better on a test that evaluated their memory, recognition capabilities and speed of information processing. And the men over 60 years of age showed an even greater improvement, although researchers aren't sure why.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Humans tend to get most of their vitamin D from strong sunshine; however, where they live has an effect on their ability to do this. People living north of the latitude of Boston are more likely to have low levels of the nutrient because the sun is not strong enough in winter to trigger the body to produce the vitamin.
Who Needs More Vitamin D?
Certain groups in the population are more likely to have less vitamin D. African Americans are prone to this because their darker skin has more melanin, which reduces their ability to produce vitamin D from the sun. Toddlers can also be low in the vitamin due to less time playing outside, and using sunscreen when they are outside, and not eating enough foods that contain vitamin D.
Humans cannot synthesize vitamin D from sun shining through a window, and sunscreen, while necessary to protect skin, also blocks the vitamin. People who spend most of their time indoors are also susceptible to having low levels. According to Health Canada, older adults are also less able to metabolize the vitamin, so seniors are advised to take a supplement.
Food Sources of Vitamin D
If you live in a northern climate or are rarely outside, looking into supplements or food sources of vitamin D is a good idea. The vitamin is in fortified products, such as milk, margarine and breakfast cereal. It occurs naturally in very few foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, the best sources are cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. It is present in small amounts in liver and egg yolks.
In addition to boosting your brain, vitamin D has also been shown to fight colds, improve lung function in people with asthma and possibly help prevent breast cancer in women and heart disease in men. Mothers are advised to take it while pregnant to up their own supply and so they can pass it on to the breastfeeding baby. Doing so may protect their child from getting multiple sclerosis later in life.
If people make sure they get enough vitamin D in their diet, either from sunshine or from food, it can not only prevent basic deficiency but also boost their brain power and offer many other health benefits.
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