Does vitamin D prevent Alzheimer's?
From Dr. Steve Kroening's "Nutrient Insider" from Advanced Bionutritionals, December 19, 2011
"You probably already know that vitamin D helps prevent many serious diseases. These include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even the flu. But researchers wanted to know if the amazing vitamin/hormone can prevent Alzheimer's. What they found is startling!
"In this study, the researchers knew that Alzheimer's patients typically suffer from low vitamin D levels. So they wanted to find out why. They surmised that the vitamin D helps clear the brain of beta amyloid protein clumps. This protein is the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease.
"To find out, the researchers used mice they genetically altered to develop dementia. Then they injected them with vitamin D. The researchers then looked at the accumulation of beta amyloid on their brains. They found that the vitamin D cleared the damaging protein before it could accumulate. The researchers believe the nutrient transports the protein across the blood-brain barrier. Once it passes through this barrier, the body can dispose of it much easier.
"Past studies have shown that the body's ability to extract this protein from the brain diminishes as we age. If the protein remains in our brain, it builds up into sticky clusters, which can affect our brain's ability to function properly. This study showed that the reason our body doesn't remove the protein is at least partially related to our vitamin D levels."
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