The study, published in the latest issue of journal Neurology, involved 382 people aged 60 or older who were enrolled in a long-term Alzheimer's study between 2002 and 2010, focusing on the effects of vitamin D levels on cognitive functioning.
The research team, led by Joshua Miller at Rutgers University in New Jersey, found people over the age of 60 with low levels of the essential vitamin experienced mental decline up to three times faster than those with adequate levels.
The study also discovered that low vitamin D levels have a major impact on how the body, including the brain, functions.
Vitamin D, known for its importance for bone health, is obtained primarily through sun exposure as well as egg yolks, cheese and fish oil.
By Ruchi Singh
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