Getting Ample Vitamin D Reduces Your Dementia Risk By 32% — Yes, Really!

Approximately 24 million people1 have dementia worldwide, and that number is growing. In fact, cases are expected to increase globally by 3 million this year alone. 

According to a BMC Neurology meta-analysis, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) increases the risk of dementia by one-third (32%), and severe deficiency [defined as at or below 10 ng/ml 25(OH)D serum levels] increases dementia risk by nearly 50%. 

So, why is VDD intrinsically linked to neurodegenerative diseases? Researchers hypothesize they're connected in the following ways.

Calcium homeostasis

Calcium is fundamental to memory formation, and calcium dysregulation has been tied to brain aging and dementia. Vitamin D is a known regulator of calcium homeostasis (hello, bone health benefits).

As such, inefficient utilization of vitamin D in the brain and/or VDD may contribute to calcium homeostasis disruption2 and cause neurons to age, per a 2018 Hormones review.

Antioxidant effects

When there is an excess of the neurotransmitter glutamate, it causes a phenomenon called glutamate neurotoxicity that ultimately leads to the death of neurons.

According to a 2018 study published by the Journal of the Neurobiological Studies, vitamin D helps exert antioxidant actions in the brain, protecting it from oxidative stress and glutamate neurotoxicity.

You see, increasing your vitamin D intake is notoriously difficult through food and sunshine. Thus, daily supplementation remains the most effective method for reaching and sustaining healthy vitamin D status.

However, not all vitamin D supplements are created equal—leading health experts recommend 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day paired with healthy fat to achieve truly optimal vitamin D levels (i.e., 50 ng/ml or higher).

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for dementia, but achieving healthy vitamin D status can help prevent cognitive decline down the road.