(Press-News.org) Contact information: Allison Perry
allison.perry@uky.edu
859-323-2399
University of Kentucky
New UK study suggests low vitamin D causes damage to brain
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 2, 2013) — A new study led by University of Kentucky researchers suggests that a diet low in vitamin D causes damage to the brain.
In addition to being essential for maintaining bone health, newer evidence shows that vitamin D serves important roles in other organs and tissue, including the brain. Published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, the UK study showed that middle-aged rats that were fed a diet low in vitamin D for several months developed free radical damage to the brain, and many different brain proteins were damaged as identified by redox proteomics. These rats also showed a significant decrease in cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory.
"Given that vitamin D deficiency is especially widespread among the elderly, we investigated how during aging from middle-age to old-age how low vitamin D affected the oxidative status of the brain," said lead author on the paper Allan Butterfield, professor in the UK Department of Chemistry, director of the Center of Membrane Sciences, faculty of Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and director of the Free Radical Biology in Cancer Core of the Markey Cancer Center. "Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in brain and subsequent deleterious consequences."
Previously, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with Alzheimer's disease, and it's also been linked to the development of certain cancers and heart disease. In both the developed world and in areas of economic hardship where food intake is not always the most nutritious, vitamin D levels in humans are often low, particularly in the elderly population. Butterfield recommends persons consult their physicians to have their vitamin D levels determined, and if low that they eat foods rich in vitamin D, take vitamin D supplements, and/or get at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day to ensure that vitamin D levels are normalized and remain so to help protect the brain.
### END
New UK study suggests low vitamin D causes damage to brain
2013-12-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Can big cats co-exist? Study challenges lion threat to cheetah cubs
2013-12-02
Can big cats co-exist? Study challenges lion threat to cheetah cubs
New research into cheetah cub survival has refuted the theory that lions are a cub's main predator and that big cats cannot coexist in conservation areas. The study, published in the Journal of Zoology, ...
A method to predict Alzheimer's disease within 2 years of screening
2013-12-02
A method to predict Alzheimer's disease within 2 years of screening
This news release is available in French. At the first signs of memory loss, most people start worrying and wonder, "What if I have Alzheimer's disease?" And yet, the disease ...
Increased risk for cardiac ischemia in patients with PTSD
2013-12-02
Increased risk for cardiac ischemia in patients with PTSD
Reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry
Philadelphia, PA, December 2, 2013 – There is growing concern that long-term untreated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may increase the risk of developing ...
US mothers from 1965 to 2010: more TV, less housework
2013-12-02
US mothers from 1965 to 2010: more TV, less housework
New research from the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health shows that mothers in the U.S. are far less physically active than they were in previous decades and now spend more ...
Goals affect feelings of pride and shame after success and failure
2013-12-02
Goals affect feelings of pride and shame after success and failure
When the St. Louis Cardinals lost the World Series, just how much shame did the players feel? According to researchers at Penn State and Australia's Central Queensland University, a person's goals at the outset of ...
When aluminum outshines gold
2013-12-02
When aluminum outshines gold
2 Rice University studies detail aluminum's valuable plasmonic properties
HOUSTON – (Dec. 2, 2013) – Humble aluminum's plasmonic properties may make it far more valuable than gold and silver for certain applications, according to new research by ...
Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path
2013-12-02
Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path
(TORONTO, Canada – Dec. 1, 2013) - Scientists and surgeons at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have discovered a promising new approach to treating colorectal cancer by disarming ...
'Nanosponge vaccine' fights MRSA toxins
2013-12-02
'Nanosponge vaccine' fights MRSA toxins
Nanosponges that soak up a dangerous pore-forming toxin produced by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) could serve as a safe and effective vaccine against this toxin. This "nanosponge vaccine" enabled ...
The mystery of neutron stars heats up
2013-12-02
The mystery of neutron stars heats up
Until now, scientists were pretty sure they knew how the surface of a neutron star – a super dense star that forms when a large star explodes and its core collapses into itself – can heat itself up.
However, research by ...
Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells
2013-12-02
Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells
Possibility of generating lung tissue for transplant using a patient's own cells
NEW YORK, NY — For the first time, scientists have succeeded in transforming human stem cells into functional ...