The Brain Food – Fish – May Work through its Vitamin D Content

Mother was right (again!) when she said “eat up your fish – it’s brain food”. And we thought recently that it was the omega-3 fatty acids that were responsible. But it seems vitamin D may be a stronger contender for the title “active principle”. This is confirmed in a study reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The study, based on data from 8 European countries, was done in UK at the University of Manchester. A total of 3,369 men aged 40 to 79 had their cognitive function measured by 3 standard tests, and their serum 25(OH)D levels determined. The results showed that men with higher levels of vitamin D had better results on the cognitive function tests, which covered memory, speed of information processing, and attention.

These findings are similar to those obtained in a Chinese study of diabetics, which I ; low levels of serum 25(OH)D were associated with an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome. Although vitamin D is primarily synthesized in the skin after exposure to sunshine, it’s also found in oily fish. In spite of the title of this post, the study lacked information on individual vitamin D dietary intake, as well as sunshine exposure. However, it seems that the role of vitamin D is becoming well-proven, so it behooves older folk to eat enough D-containing food and get a healthy dose of sunshine, when possible. These steps could help stave off age-related cognitive impairment, to a certain extent.