Sunshine on Your Mind
Vitamin D, which the body produces when exposed to sunlight, can decrease mental decline in seniors, according to a study published last week in the
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry,
Reuters reports.
While other research has shown Vitamin D may impact mental ability, the findings haven't been consistent, David Lee and colleagues at the University of Manchester reported.
By comparing the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 European men aged 40 to 79, the researchers found those with low vitamin D levels didn't perform as well on a task to test mental agility.
The size of the study and the fact that the researchers adjusted for several lifestyle factors make the findings some of the strongest evidence yet of a link between Vitamin D and mental health, Lee said in an MSNBC.com article.
While the researchers aren't sure how vitamin D and mental agility are linked, they said the vitamin's role in increasing certain hormonal activity or the protection of neurons in the brain could be possible explanations.
They also stressed that people shouldn't get too much sunlight because of the risk of skin cancer.