Michael Mosley’s Just One Thing hails key vitamin to ward off dementia | UK | News
People are warned not to take too much (Image: Getty)
The late Dr Michael Mosley highlighted vitamin D as an important nutrient that can support mental health and help protect against dementia.
Open BBC Radio 4’s One Thing with Michael Mosley He explained that vitamin D may help protect the brain. He also pointed out that winter sunlight levels in the UK are too low to produce enough vitamin D naturally, saying: “I take this little little pill every day in the winter.”
He added: “Taking this cheap little supplement can boost your immune system, making you less likely to catch a cold. There’s also growing evidence that in high doses it can even protect you from cognitive decline and dementia.”
Mosley said, “The most well-known role of vitamin D since its discovery in the 1920s is to keep bones healthy by increasing our body’s absorption of calcium. For this reason, rickets, which used to be very common, is now rare.”
Mosley made an exception for the supplement, explaining: “I don’t normally recommend Just One Thing supplements, but I make an exception for vitamin D.”
He explained that while many know it’s great for our bones, studies show it’s better for us than we think. Mosley noted that “scientists have discovered vitamin D receptors in almost all cells of our body, suggesting that its health benefits extend far beyond the bones.”
Read more: Octopus Energy urges UK homeowners to tune up their boilers to save £517
Read more: NHS advises pregnant women to take vitamins for their baby’s brain and spine
Vitamin D and dementia
On the website, BBC Dr David Llewellyn, of the University of Exeter, reported analyzing a large US study that followed more than 1,600 people. It found that those with vitamin D deficiency were more than 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia. The risk more than doubled in people with severe deficiency; approximately 125% higher.
“This was the first convincing evidence linking low levels of vitamin D in the blood to an increased risk of dementia,” Llewellyn said.
Speaking about the link between the vitamin and brain health, the university professor noted that the vitamin interacts with hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and can “break down and clear abnormal proteins that build up in the brain, such as amyloid plaques and tau,” reports the BBC.
“Other scientists have argued that it also helps maintain blood flow to the brain and reduce inflammation, which may also be beneficial in other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia,” Llewellyn said.
Am I getting enough vitamin D from the sun?
During the winter months in the UK there is not enough sunlight for most people to make enough vitamin D. During spring and summer, the skin can produce vitamin D from sunlight, but in winter, sunlight is very weak and limited. As a result, vitamin D deficiency is common and may have a greater impact on health than previously understood, according to Llewellyn.
Certain groups of people are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency, so this becomes a bigger health problem for them. “If you have dark skin, you won’t be able to produce the same amount of vitamin D due to exposure to the same amount of UV radiation,” Llewellyn explains. More than 50% of people of South Asian descent in the UK are actually vitamin D deficient during the winter months.
Moreover, vitamin D deficiency becomes more common with age, as our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D: “More than half of older adults are below the deficiency threshold,” he added.
How much vitamin D do I need?
NHS “It’s difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, not everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women),” he says, adding that many people “should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the fall and winter.”
He adds: “Between late March or early April and late September, most people can get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin and a balanced diet. You may choose not to take vitamin D supplements during these months.”
It also warns: “If you choose to take a vitamin D supplement, 10 micrograms per day will be sufficient for most people. Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D per day as it may be harmful. This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and children ages 11 to 17.”
