Sunshine could help prevent stroke and dementia

SUNSHINE could ward off dementia and strokes after scientists have shown a direct link between vitamin D and the conditions in a world-first study.

A new study based on British people said that cases of dementia could drop by nearly a fifth if people who were deficient in the vitamin took supplements to bring them up to healthy levels. It is known as the sunshine vitamin because the skin makes it when exposed to light.

The team from the University of South Australia looked at nearly 300,000 people from the UK Biobank examining the impact of low levels of vitamin D and the risk of dementia and stroke.

They found that low levels of vitamin D were associated with lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke. Further genetic analysis supported a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia.

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviours as you age.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.