It is important to get some exercise outdoors in the sun every day
Two recent scientific studies have found that Vitamin D impacts brain health. Specifically, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk for decline in cognitive function, including memory decline.
These studies found that Vitamin D deficiency carries a 122% increased risk of impaired cognitive function.
All animals, including humans, rely on the sun to as their primary source of Vitamin D. Humans get about 90% if their Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D synthesis in humans is a remarkable process where cells in our body capture photons from the sun's rays to create Vitamin D. In effect, our body captures the raw energy from the sun to create Vitamin D. See Skin Vitamin D Synthesis from the Sun
Obtaining your Vitamin D from the sun is free. The drug companies would prefer you to buy Vitamin D pills or supplements to increase their corporate profits, even though numerous studies have concluded most supplements (i) may not be effective, (ii) are not readily absorbed by the body, (iii) can be toxic and (iv) can be costly.
As Vitamin D has also been found to help (i) maintain bone health, (ii) promote muscle development and muscle strength, (iii) play a role in cardiovascular health and metabolic health, (iv )build immune system strength and cancer prevention, and (v) promote mental health, it is important to get some exercise outdoors in the sun!
"Low vitamin D levels likely affect cognition through both neurodegenerative and vascular mechanisms,” according to the research authors. The authors also noted that Vitamin D receptors are expressed in areas of the brain involved in memory. Vitamin D receptors are found in cells and serve the function of promoting biological actions of Vitamin D at a cellular level.
Both studies was published in Neurology. See Vitamin D and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease and Vitamin D deficiency predicts cognitive decline in older men and women
David J. Llewellyn, PhD, from the University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom was the lead author of the first study above. Elena D. Toffanello, MD, from University of Padova, Italy, was was the lead author of the second study.
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