By Tim Snaith
There is growing evidence for how your body relies on vitamin D to ward off inflammation, cancer, and heart disease. Having enough of it in your blood is linked to a lower risk of dying prematurely. But what about vitamin D and the brain? What is its role in cognition, or dementia, if any? As one researcher told Medical News Today this week, “we did not know if vitamin D was even present in the human brain.”
The researcher, Kyla Shea, PhD, is lead author of a study offering the first evidence that vitamin D is not only present in the brain, a healthy level of it is associated with better cognitive function and a lower risk of dementia in older adults.
The evidence comes from the postmortem study of the brains of 290 individuals who had agreed to donate their organs after death. Researchers found that higher concentrations of vitamin D across the brain were associated with up to a 33% lower chance of developing dementia.
It is early days, so precisely how vitamin D supports healthy cognitive function is not yet understood. Dr. Shea sees signs that it is involved in cell-signaling pathways that may be part of neurodegeneration, but more research is needed to build on this groundbreaking study.
To learn more about where researchers found vitamin D in the brain and how it may support healthy cognitive function, jump to “Low levels of vitamin D in the brain linked to increased dementia risk.”
You may recall that we recently reported on the latest research into near-death experiences, and invited readers to share their stories. Here are a few excerpts from some of the fascinating responses that landed in our inbox.
Barbara Walsh recalled an experience in 1984 that happened on her way to work:
A bus was about to run me down (I was in front of the left headlight and felt the bus come in contact with me). I was suddenly lifted up and then backwards and landed many yards away from the bus on the sidewalk. The moment the headlight was in front of me, I was quickly taken to a place away from the bus, a very bright place, there were several angel-like beings in a huddle around me, and I was frantically telling them that I have a young daughter to care for. Everything was happening at an accelerated rate. I was also getting a life review, I believe. After that, I remember being many yards away from the bus, frantically picking up my belongings. I have always thought that this was an intervention. The witness told me that he had never seen a person lifted up and backwards, he was amazed, as was I. I felt lucky to be alive!
EB shares his father’s experience that brought about a lasting change in outlook:
[He] was undergoing open heart surgery when he experienced life after death. A lifelong atheist, for the rest of his life (he lived another 20 years), he maintained that he was no longer afraid of dying because he had “been there” and didn’t mind going there again. He described the experience as one where he understood everything about life and knew or understood everything. He was at peace right up to the time of his final passing, from a stroke.
Finally, we received this recollection from RC, who fell ill during a tour of duty in Vietnam:
I suffered from encephalitis. I distinctly remember looking down at the medics as they were working on me. It was a peaceful experience, but one I couldn’t explain until I became a Christian. The experience affirmed the assertion of life after death. I never talked about my experience while in the service. It happened in November 1965. My medical records only reflect the illness and nothing about my experience. Thanks for the opportunity to share.
Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Medical News Today
