Vitamin D: how it could help you prevent Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Due genetic traits & family history we are told that Alzheimer’s & Dementia could be a high probability & that right now there is nothing we can do to prevent it, yet on a daily basis I see new discoveries that give us hope.
The brain is a energy- intensive organ that needs the right conditions to stay healthy & continue to grow (Just like a house plant needs the right growing conditions such as enough sunlight, soil nutrients & growth factors).
In “Atrophic Alzheimer’s” the brain encounters a sustained lack of “trophic support” ie. right amount of nutrients & growth factors “ so it begins to wither (Atrophy) which gradually impairs brain function & cognition.
Past studies have established that Vitamin D, which people sometimes refer to as the “sunshine vitamin,” is necessary for maintaining healthy bones, immune system, cardiovascular system & endocrine function.
A new study published in JAMA Neurology shows that Vitamin D insufficiency was associated with significantly faster declines in both episodic memory and executive function performance symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s.
This makes sense since Vitamin D is a key tropic support factor (along with estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, thyroid, NGF, BDNF) & a lack of tropic support factors elevates the risk of developing Alzheimer’s….yet over a billion people worldwide are affected by vitamin D deficiency
Takeaways
Ask your M.D. to order a vitamin D test or order one yourself
Optimal Levels should be between 70 to 100
If you are an M.D., consider adding a Vitamin D Screening to your Dementia & Alzheimer’s diagnostic/treatment tool box.
If you want to take control of your biology:
Expose your eyes to a little sunshine in the morning which reset your circadian rhythm (Which regulates sleep & impacts sleep quality).
Combine responsible sun skin exposure with Vitamin D supplementation
If you live in lower sun exposure part of the world like I do, I recommend this FDA Approved UVB lamp (AM use only)
In order for the body to transform Vitamin D to the “active” form of vitamin D it has to go through “Sulfation” which happens with sun skin exposure.
Combine Vitamin D3 & K2 supplementation (In the AM)
Vitamin D drives Calcium into tissues while K2 helps to keep it there (For optimal age/D3 dose please use chart below):
| Age | Dosage |
|---|---|
| Below 5 | 35 units per pund per day |
| 5 - 10 | 2500 units |
| Adults | 5000 units |
| Pregnant Women | 8000 units |