Posted on 06/15/2022 8:54:58 PM PDT by House Atreides
Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviours as you age. But what if you could stop this degenerative disease in its tracks?
A world-first study from the University of South Australia could make this a reality as new genetic research shows a direct link between dementia and a lack of vitamin D.
Investigating the association between vitamin D, neuroimaging features, and the risk of dementia and stroke, the study found:
* low levels of vitamin D were associated with lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke
* genetic analyses supported a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia.
* in some populations as much as 17 per cent of dementia cases might be prevented by increasing everyone to normal levels of vitamin D (50 nmol/L).
Dementia is a chronic or progressive syndrome that leads to deterioration in cognitive function. About 487,500 Australians live with dementia and it is the country’s second leading cause of death. Globally, more than 55 million people have dementia with 10 million new cases diagnosed every year.
Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the genetic study analysed data from 294,514 participants from the UK Biobank, examining the impact of low levels of vitamin D (25 nmol/L) and the risk of dementia and stroke. Nonlinear Mendelian randomisation (MR) – a method of using measured variation in genes to examine the causal effect of a modifiable exposure on disease - were used to test for underlying causality for neuroimaging outcomes, dementia, and stroke.
Senior investigator and Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hyppönen, says the findings are important for the prevention of dementia and appreciating the need to abolish vitamin D deficiency.
“Vitamin D is a hormone precursor that is increasingly recognised for widespread effects, including on brain health, but until now it has been very difficult to examine what would happen if we were able to prevent vitamin D deficiency,” Prof Hyppönen says.
“Our study is the first to examine the effect of very low levels of vitamin D on the risks of dementia and stroke, using robust genetic analyses among a large population.
“In some contexts, where vitamin D deficiency is relatively common, our findings have important implications for dementia risks. Indeed, in this UK population we observed that up to 17 per cent of dementia cases might have been avoided by boosting vitamin D levels to be within a normal range.”
The findings are incredibly significant given the high prevalence of dementia around the world.
“ Dementia is a progressive and debilitating disease that can devastate individuals and families alike,” Prof Hyppönen says.
“If we’re able to change this reality through ensuring that none of us is severely vitamin D deficient, it would also have further benefits and we could change the health and wellbeing for thousands.”
“Most of us are likely to be ok, but for anyone who for whatever reason may not receive enough vitamin D from the sun, modifications to diet may not be enough, and supplementation may well be needed.”
I take 5000 IU of vitamin D every day, and am in the sun. Even with that I am still severely deficient. I will probably keel ass over tea kettle soon enough.
I started Vit D supplements when COVID hit in March 2020. Dr. Roger Seheult reported on papers showing the benefit of Vit D to COVID. Then, later, papers were written (reported here on FR) showing that people with Vit D levels >50 ng/ml did not die from COVID.
Not this research shows that similar levels of Vit D prevent dementia.
It is an amazing substance.
During rainy season, mid-May to mid-October, there’s a lot of rain every day but you rarely see rain all day.
But where I’m at, there is far less rain than in most parts of the country did to the geography. South of us, where mountains come all the way to the sea, they get more rain than us. But in the immediate area, we have a little bowl and it seems like most of the rain from the Indian Ocean gets dumped on the mountains to the West of us. Mostly we see rain only with the remnants of storms that come from Vietnam (if they haven’t lost their energy before reaching us)
Bkmk
D3 —10000 iu a day keeps the doctor away. Be sure to take D3 with K2 and magnesium if you are taking hi-dose D3. Get your D3 levels check as part of your blood panel. This usually costs you nothing. Or go to Quest Diagnostics for it. $50 or so.
My D3 is 75-85 ng/ml/ I have not had my levels checked in five months.
My own personal experience is 10000 iu daily gives me a positive frame of mind.
“UK, fine, but hard to figure all the cases of dementia in states like FL, AZ, S Calif, CO, etc. if it’s Vit D deficiency”
The elderly cannot covert sunlight to D3 as well as when they were young. #2 Sunny outside but people are holed up indoors to stay cool with air conditioning. It is hot and sunny where I live, but I get outdoors to take walks with my shirt off for maximum D3 creation. Morning usually.
📌
Bookmarked
bkmk
Early this month I had regular labs done, this time requesting that Vitamin D be included.
Results say I’m too high out of normal range.
Vitamin D 25 OH Lvl:
84.94 ng/mL
Range is supposed to be 30.00 to 60.00
I wonder if it’s dangerous. Just taking what my ortho surgeon prescribed back in 2020 prior to hip replacement.
“I take 5000 IU of vitamin D every day, and am in the sun. Even with that I am still severely deficient.”
I take the same dose daily in a pill, and get a little more in my multivitamins a calcium tabs. (Not much sun.) I’m way too high. Will make adjustments when I see PCP next week.
Which state?
Get outside Joe, Nancy....oh, wait.
“For anyone who really wants to absorb D the best way possible, get a supplement that does D and vitamin K2 together.”
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For sure, good point. I learned about and made the change from D3 only supplements to D3/K2 supplements early in the COVID hullabaloo.
First some facts about Vitamin D. US uses the measure ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter). Australia, UK, Turkey and many other countries use nmols/L (nanomols per liter). To convert to US you must divide nmols/L by 2.5. Therefore the figures
50 nmol/L (normal) and 25 nmol/L (low) in the article, in US are 20 and 10 ng/mL. Our dear friends in US govt. agree 20 and 10 are normal and low. The US professional society for endochronologists says 30 is normal, and 20 insufficient. The Turkish link below says above 30 ng/mL (figure converted from 70 nmols/L) is OPTIMUM. For them below US 30 is insufficient, below 20 is deficient, and below 10 is severely deficient. According to US health care organization Kaiser Permanent, between 50 and 80 ng/mL is OPTIMUM. This higher figure recognizes newer information that D levels for immune system health are higher than those for bone health (originally calculated to prevent rickets and perhaps osteoporosis).
The Turkish Covid study linked below had several important findings using almost 240 hospitalized patients with Covid and often comorbidities of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and/or Cancer. 1) The Zelenko 3 part early treatment protocol even seemed to work in their hospital setting with the addition of 5000 IU of Vitamin D and a gram of C daily. Their experiment was to use a modest amount of C versus high dose IV (intravenous) Vitamin C (as much as 24 grams in 24 hours). The IV Vitamin C sighificantly reduced the amount of time spent hospitalized. Probably far better than Fauci’s beloved Remdesivir ($3000 per treatment). The big SURPRISE came when they looked at the original blood tests from before starting the study. Not one person had OPTIMUM Vitamin D levels (above 30 ng/mL). Three had insufficiet levels between 20 and 29 ng/m:. The rest were nearly evenly divided between deficient (below 20) or severely deficient (below 10 ng/mL). Remember all nmol/L figures in this Turkish study must be divided by 2.5 to find US ng/mL figures.
Thus it appears the best way to stay out of hospitals is to maintain OPTIMUM Vitamin D levels. The only death in that study entered the hospital with a 3 ng/mL level of D. Also it appears the Zelenko Protocol, using his amounts of Zinc, HCQ, and Azithromycin with addition of Vitamins C and D works even in a hospital setting.
So get your blood Vitamin D tested, and determine how much Vitamin D supplement you may need to reach the optimum level. I, a 140 lb. 83 year old woman living in the midAtlantic area started taking 3000 to 6000 IU of Vitamin D summer of 2020 varying dose according to season and sun exposure. Last December Kaiser Permanente measured me at 66 ng/mL. My 240 lb. 6’1” son was advised by his doctor to increase from 5000 IU to 10,000 IU of Vitamin D for winter depression. A medium large white man I met says his doctor gives him 40,000 weekly. A tall black woman told me her doctor put her on 10,000 IU daily a decade ago. The dark skin of African Americans, American Indians, and Middle Eastern People and South Asians explains their much higher death rate since they often don’t absorb enough Vitamin D from the sun living in the US.
DENNISW, be careful you don’t overshot Kaiser Permanente’s OPTIMUM range of 50 to 80 ng/mL blood level of D.
See my comment #36. Kaiser Permanente health care system gives OPTIMUM D level as 50 to 80 ng/ml. It looks like you only need to reduce your consumption by not taking the 5000 IU one or two days a week te drop below the 80 ng/mL level.
“It looks like you only need to reduce your consumption by not taking the 5000 IU one or two days a week te drop below the 80 ng/mL level.”
Thanks! I did a WAG and decided to go to 4x/week instead of 7. Sounds like GMTA.
I just looked at Bangkok on Google maps street view. How long did it take for you to get used to driving on the “other” side of the road?
I do like seeing your photos from Asia, sir.
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