A diet low in vitamin D can cause brain damage, researchers of a new study found.
Up until now, researchers believed that vitamin D was essential only to maintain bone health. However, in a new study, researchers also found that the nutrient is essential for the smooth functioning of other body organs and tissues,and low levels of it can damage the functionality of the brain.
Middle-aged rats that were fed a low Vitamin D diet for several weeks developed free radical damage to the brain, according to a press release. Along with many different brain proteins being damaged as identified by redox proteomics, researchers also observed that these rats showed a 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 aging from middle-age to old-age how low vitamin D affected the oxidative status of the brain," said lead author on the paper Allan Butterfield, professor in the UK Department of Chemistry in the statement. "Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in brain and subsequent deleterious consequences."
It has been observed that in both developed and developing countries, where the food consumed is not nutritional, individuals, especially elders have very low levels of Vitamin D in their bodies. According to Butterfield, such people should get themselves checked regularly, and if their level of vitamin D is found to be low, they should start eating food rich in this nutrient, start taking Vitamin D supplements and get at least 15 minutes of sun exposure daily.
Though Butterfield recommends vitamin D supplements for all adults, a recent study conducted by researchers from New Zealand's University of Auckland suggested that it may not be beneficial for adults who are already healthy. In the study, healthy adults who took vitamin D supplements for two years did not show any signs of getting any benefit from it. There were minimal increases in bone density around the femur and hip joint which can be significant statistically but not clinically, reported BBC News.
According to the National Institutes of Health, people can stay under the sun 10 to 15 minutes three times a week to complete the required amount of vitamin D. Other sources of the nutrient are dairy products, fatty fish, oysters, and fortified meals such as cereals, margarine, and soy milk. Adults are recommended to take Vitamin D supplements of 0.01mg daily. Babies on the other hand should take 0.007-0.0085mg of Vitamin D drops per day. Too much vitamin D also can be harmful for the body as high levels of calcium in the blood leads to kidney damage.
