The Link Between Vitamin D and Cognitive Health

Let The Sunshine In: You might’ve heard that vitamin D is good for your bones, but researchers are increasingly interested in what the “sunshine vitamin” might be doing for your brain, too. A new study suggests that your levels during midlife could actually influence what’s happening in your brain decades later. 

The Study: Researchers followed nearly 800 adults for 16 years, measuring vitamin D levels once in midlife. Then, at the end of the study, researchers scanned participants’ brains for buildup of certain proteins considered biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease. People with higher vitamin D levels in their 30s and 40s showed lower tau protein levels years later. 

The Takeaway: Midlife appears to be a window where keeping your vitamin D levels within a healthy range could have a real payoff for your brain decades later. Whether that means spending more time in the sunshine or looking into supplementation, it’s worth bringing up at your next doctor’s appointment if you haven’t already.

Keep in Mind: The study only captured vitamin D levels at a single point in time rather than tracking them across the years, and a link between two things isn’t the same as one causing the other.