Alzheimer’s risk may drop with a diet that’s rich in this key vitamin

How much better can this list get?

That’s what I wonder every time I read about a significant new health benefit linked to vitamin D.

Here’s a quick recap of things you can avoid with high levels of vitamin D:

* Heart disease

* Cancer

* Type 2 diabetes

* Flu

* Muscle atrophy

* Cognitive problems

And soon, we might be able to expand that last item to include Alzheimer’s.

In a new study, researchers compared Alzheimer’s cases to dietary data gathered from 500 elderly women. None of the women took D supplements.

Results linked the highest dietary intake of vitamin D with a 77% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers also concluded that low D intake appears to precede Alzheimer’s onset.

This research doesn’t consider sunlight exposure — the best source of vitamin D, of course. But like many of the women in this study, you can get plenty of vitamin D from cod liver oil. After sunlight, that’s the richest source.

The other best sources also come from the sea: salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines.

Hmmm… Fish has always had a reputation as “brain” food. Maybe this link to reduced Alzheimer’s risk is the most obvious D benefit of all.

Sources:
“Increased Vitamin D Intakes May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk” Lee Swanson Research Update, May 2012, swansonvitamins.com