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Vitamin D testing may show improved cognitive function in men

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Vitamin D testing may show improved cognitive function in men

Men who scored higher on vitamin D testing performed better on a test of information processing and attention, adding to the growing body of research on the health effects of the nutrient.

The data come from the European Male Aging Study, which looked at more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 70. While they did not find any link between the results of vitamin D tests and memory, they did find a correlation between lower vitamin d blood levels and poorer performance in accessing information.

"We can't at this stage say there is a biological link between vitamin D and how well your brain works," said lead author David Lee, a research associate at the University of Manchester, speaking to the Vancouver Sun.

But Lee pointed out that even after correcting for education level, physical activity and other confounding factors, "we still saw this association between vitamin D levels and cognitive performance."

Low vitamin D has been linked to a number of systemic diseases, including an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.