Could it be fatal for the elderly to take vitamin D frequently? National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan: Risk of dementia and death tripled
Is oversupply of vitamin D potentially fatal? National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan: Increased risk of dementia and death
Past studies have pointed out that vitamin D has the function of protecting and nourishing nerve cells, helping to proliferate nerve conduction pathways and promoting brain health. Many epidemiological studies have also found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but the causal relationship between the two is unclear. There are still no effective drugs to treat dementia, so the academic community hopes to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease through vitamin D supplementation.
Zhuang Zhili, a researcher at the National Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, and his team used animal experiments on Alzheimer’s disease mice and found that the amount of vitamin D receptor protein in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients and mice increased instead of decreasing. , and the location of the manifestations overlaps with the “amyloid senile plaques” that cause neuropathy, indicating that Alzheimer’s is the cause of low vitamin D.
Further research found that under normal circumstances, the vitamin D receptor protein enters the cell nucleus to perform neuroprotective gene transcription. However, in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease mice, the vitamin D receptor protein interacts with tumor suppressor proteins in the cytoplasm. “p53” binds and thereby promotes nerve cell apoptosis, and inhibiting p53 can alleviate brain symptoms.
Studies have pointed out that if mice with Alzheimer’s disease continue to be supplemented with vitamin D, not only does it not alleviate the course of the disease, supplementing with vitamin D will also increase the binding of vitamin D receptor protein and p53, leading to accelerated neurodegeneration in the brain. Research results show that elderly people who take vitamin D for a long time have a 1.8 times higher risk of developing dementia than those who do not take it, while patients with dementia who take vitamin D have a 2.17 times higher risk of death.
Can too low vitamin D damage the brain? Middle-aged and middle-aged people have a 50% higher risk of dementia
The results of this study are in clear contrast with the current public understanding of the use of vitamin D. Patients with dementia or the elderly need to consider the increased risk of dementia when taking vitamin D. However, a recent study published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” stated that vitamin D deficiency is related to dementia, involving middle-aged and elderly people aged 37 to 73.
A joint research team from the UK and Australia analyzed research data from more than 294,000 people in the UK Biobank, with the subjects aged between 37 and 73 years old. About 2,400 of them had dementia, while 3,760 had suffered a stroke. The findings indicate that vitamin D deficiency is associated with dementia, cognitive decline and increased risk of stroke, with the strongest association among subjects with levels below 25 nmol/L.
The study showed that compared with subjects with vitamin D concentrations of 50 nmol/L (considered normal vitamin D levels), those with vitamin D concentrations of 25 nmol/L or lower were expected to have a 54% higher risk of dementia. Studies also estimate that 17% of dementia cases could be prevented by increasing vitamin D levels from 25 nmol/L to 50 nmol/L.
“Vitamin D deficiency is relatively common, and the findings have important implications for the treatment of dementia.” Study author Elina Hyppönen said that the research supports the role of vitamin D in brain health, especially in dementia, but there is a causal link between the two. , needs further analysis to clarify.
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Based on the above two studies, it can be seen that vitamin D may indeed be related to brain health, and most people are generally deficient in the vitamin. However, long-term consumption of excessive vitamin D or supplements may also cause harm to cognitive function. . Guidelines published by the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States indicate that there is currently controversy over the daily intake of vitamin D; generally speaking, the recommended intake for adults should be 800 IU (international units).
The Harvard School of Public Health points out that there are few foods rich in vitamin D in nature, and those with higher contents include deep-sea fish (such as salmon and mackerel), fresh milk, egg yolks, cheese and sun-dried mushrooms. In addition, exposure to ultraviolet rays can also help the body obtain vitamin D. Many online sources claim that vitamin D has many medical effects, but you should be aware that they are exaggerated and people should not believe them at all.
Harvard University also stated that although vitamin D deficiency is common in the human body, excessive intake can still have adverse effects on the body, such as irregular heartbeat, vascular calcification and hardening, anorexia and even weight loss. If you need to buy any vitamin D supplements, you should read the nutrition label, pay attention to the place of manufacture and ingredients in advance, and consult a nutritionist or physician before purchasing.
Source:
Vitamin D - Harvard TH Chan School
Vitamin D and brain health: an observational and Mendelian randomization study
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