The new study showed that middle-aged rats, which were fed a low vitamin D diet for several months, developed free radical damage to the brain and showed a significant decrease in cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory.
“Given that vitamin D deficiency is especially widespread among the elderly, we investigated how, during ageing from middle-age to old-age, low vitamin D affected the oxidative status of the brain,” said Center of Membrane Sciences director at University of Kentucky, and lead author on the paper, Allan Butterfield.
“Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in the brain and subsequent deleterious consequences,” he said.
Low levels of vitamin D have previously been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and the development of certain cancers.
Source: University of Kentucky
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