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Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

111–120 of 137 posts

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#111

I’ll try to get 15-30 min of sun exposure without sun screen in the warmer months each day. Feel immensely better during then, to a point where I’ve seriously considered moving somewhere warmer without real winter months.

Doesn’t sound like a good idea to forego the sunscreen…

He's probably in a colder climate with minimal UV given his/her reference to "in the warmer months"

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#112

Like all studies into Vitamin D supplementation that aren’t randomized controlled trials, it’s very hard to tell apart cause and effect. Vitamin D naturally occurs when people go outside and get exposed to the sun, and going outside is correlated with all sorts of healthy traits. Also, publicity of the association of vitamin D with good health has led people who care about their health or who have access to good medi…

> Vitamin D naturally occurs when people go outside and get exposed to the sun, and going outside is correlated with all sorts of healthy traits.

There is a difference between studying the effects of vitamin D and the effects of vitamin D supplements though. I agree with you on the "general health" variable, because I think it's likely there is some correlation between being somewhat health-conscious and taking vitamin D supplements (unprompted).

However, there is no correlation between going out in the sun and taking supplements. (There might actually be a slightly negative one as some people might start taking them in winter when they don't get a lot of sunlight).

So if you see a strong correlation between taking vitamin D supplements and reduced prevalence of dementia, I don't think this could be caused by sunlight exposure.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#113
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d get a cold at least once a year and the flu every few years. I started taking 5K IUs of D3 daily in 2019 and haven't had a cold or flu since then.

Flu spread among all humans (not just those supplementing vit D) was massively reduced in recent years because of a little thing called COVID-19 and all the social distancing/lockdowns that led to...

I live in a household of 4, everyone has continued to get colds at least once a year including covid but I have not had any symptoms of infection and attribute that to my daily intake of D3.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#114

I’ll try to get 15-30 min of sun exposure without sun screen in the warmer months each day. Feel immensely better during then, to a point where I’ve seriously considered moving somewhere warmer without real winter months.

Doesn’t sound like a good idea to forego the sunscreen…

Why not?

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#115

Like all studies into Vitamin D supplementation that aren’t randomized controlled trials, it’s very hard to tell apart cause and effect. Vitamin D naturally occurs when people go outside and get exposed to the sun, and going outside is correlated with all sorts of healthy traits. Also, publicity of the association of vitamin D with good health has led people who care about their health or who have access to good medi…

> Vitamin D naturally occurs when people go outside and get exposed to the sun, ... Not sure where you are living? If I go outside in winter (+2 months around) I need gloves, cap, scarf. Literally only a little portion of my face gets some sunlight until 5pm. Then it is dark! I live in Germany! So, this isn't an argument for a lot of people in cold countries or dark countries. Mostly both.. Exposing to the sun is ver…

Recommend to adults vitamin D intake of 4000 IU (100mcg) daily (or at least 2000 IU) in the absence of testing. 4000 IU is widely regarded as safe.

https://vitamindforall.org/letter.html

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#116
post #74

Perhaps not many in this audience are dealing with having to mitigate the prospect of dementia. How about something close to the horizon for almost all of us? > Vitamin D deficiency can cause over‐activation of the pulmonary renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) leading to the respiratory syndrome. RAS is regulated in part at least by angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which also acts as a primary receptor for SARS‐CoV…

https://vitamindforall.org/letter.html

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#117

I've been taking 1000 IUs daily, for the last 20 years, skipping summers (during which I would attempt sun exposure), while continuously being within acceptable medians for my age. I sure hope what I am typing now makes sense :-)

4000 daily during flu winter seasons. It probably works.

https://vitamindforall.org/letter.html

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#118
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, TIL. That’s kind of nuts, I just looked at latitude lines because I was sure you had to be wrong but it looks like where I live (which is actually Hamilton) is the same latitude as northern Italy. In fact, it’s almost exactly the same as Florence, where the forecasted highs over the next week are in mid- to high-teens (C). We have a blizzard and most days next week the high is 1 degree. I honestly didn’t realize…

Wind and ocean currents make Western europe way warmer than Canada for a given latitude. Ottawa is only about 45 degrees north, same as Paris. Most of England is further North than that.

Not just England, try Scotland and some of its Islands.

Not much chance of Vit D from sunlight for almost half the year.

Penzance 50.1 N London 51.5 N Berwick 55.8 N

Edinburgh 56.0 N Aberdeen 57.1 N Thurso 58.6 N

Kirkwall 59.0 N Lerwick 60.1 N Haroldswick 60.8 N

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#119

Like all studies into Vitamin D supplementation that aren’t randomized controlled trials, it’s very hard to tell apart cause and effect. Vitamin D naturally occurs when people go outside and get exposed to the sun, and going outside is correlated with all sorts of healthy traits. Also, publicity of the association of vitamin D with good health has led people who care about their health or who have access to good medi…

It's possible that all these studies are wrong and that Vitamin D supplementation is pointless. Information is never perfect.

But at this time, on the balance, vit D supplementation seems like a pretty sensible bet for anyone living in far latitudes during winter, especially people with more pigmented skin. It looks like there's very little risk of harm, and it's cheap stuff.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia

#120
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some might not like this answer but the best course of action is still some sun exposure. As for the actual answer, someone correct me if I'm wrong but there there are multiple 'variants' of vit. D and the vast majority of "vit D" supplements most likely don't include the complete formula (which is arguably the best way in order to also assimilate it "fully"). The daily recommended dose is fine unless you're deficien…

Older folks most at risk can't make it naturally. D3 is the best bet and complete.

If you consider yourself too old for getting outside than you are having too bad quality of live to have a reason to keep care on your health.
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