Vitamin D Not Effective in Fighting Off Dementia, Large Study Finds

Vitamin D may not be effective in fighting off dementia after all, a large study has found.

Medical experts previously reported a possible link between low levels of vitamin D and the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's, causing thousands to pop a supplement and increase their time in the sun in an effort to fight off the diseases.

However, an analysis of 70 other studies has now found that taking in more vitamin D may not actually be an effective way to stave off dementia, CheatSheet noted.

Lead author Krystal Iacopetta, PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, said in a statement that the results of the in-depth review and analysis of scientific literature has indicated that there was "no convincing evidence supporting vitamin D as a protective agent for the brain."

Mark Hutchinson, a professor at the University of Adelaide who worked on the research team, noted in the statement that the outcome of the review had "broken a commonly held belief that vitamin D resulting from sun exposure is good for your brain."

That is not to say that increased levels of the vitamin have no benefits.

"There are some early studies that suggest that UV exposure could have a positive impact on some neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis," Hutchinson said in the statement. "We have presented critical evidence that UV light may impact molecular processes in the brain in a manner that has absolutely nothing to do with vitamin D."

The question now turns back to what are effective methods to try and prevent the development of dementia?

According to the World Health Organization, around 50 million people worldwide have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60 percent to 70 percent of cases.

In the U.S., Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death, with fatalities rising to 123 percent between 2000 and 2015, The Alzheimer's Association noted.

The good news is that, according to the Alzheimer's Association, there has been remarkable progress in terms of understanding healthy brain function and in developing new drug therapies.

And, as scientists around the world rush to discover ways of treating current Alzheimer's patients and preventing the disease in the future, breakthroughs are occurring.

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