"Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Low Mood and Worse Cognitive Performance in Older Adults,"
Wilkins CH, Sheline YI, et al, Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006; 14(12): 1032-1040. (Address: Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA)

Summary: In a cross-sectional study involving 40 older subjects with mild Alzheimer's disease and 40 nondemented older subjects, vitamin D deficiency was found to be associated with low mood and worse cognitive performance. 58% of the subjects had abnormally low vitamin D levels (less than 20 ng/mL). After adjusting for age, race, gender, and season, vitamin D deficiency was associated with the presence of active mood disorder. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency was associated with worse cognitive function (measured using the Short Blessed Test), and greater dementia severity (using the Clinical Dementia Rating). Thus, the authors of this study conclude, "In a cross-section of older adults, vitamin D deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performance."

Lynn says:  Vitamin D is certainly in the news recently -cancer, bone loss, now Alzheimer's among other conditions it is related to.

I have written before about the reverence I have for the instinctive knowledge some women had about protecting their families' health before the dawning of the age of nutritional science, and the Grandmotherly spoonful of Cod Liver Oil ranks high on that list. 

Remember, though, all Vitamin D is not created equal!  Look for D from fish oil,  or for Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

You can get the best Cod Liver Oil here

For the faint of heart - here are capsules of Cod Liver Oil

And here is Vitamin D3 in a 2000 i.u. formulation

Ah, to be lounging by the wine dark sea, eating olives and goat cheese, and drinking retsina.  I remember those days well - yes, I really do:  I spent many years living in that part of the world.

So perhaps it is not so strange I remember - this new study supports the theory that a Mediterranean diet protects against Alzheimer's disease. 

I can't think of a better way not to get it!

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet may lower risk for Alzheimer's disease

I juice apples daily as part of my anti-cancer regimen:  I admit my motivation is based somewhat upon the fact that they taste good, but also, apples are high in antioxidants and apple pips are a source of  B15.  I juice my apples pips and all. 

Now comes a study which shows apple juice is protective against memory loss. "We anticipate that the day may come when foods like apples, apple juice and other apple products are recommended along with the most popular Alzheimer's medications," says Thomas Shea, Ph.D., director of the UML Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research.

Read the report here.

The Mediterranean diet scores again.  It has been shown to be protective in heart health, cancer and diabetes.  Now studies suggest it may prevent Alzheimer's disease.

"What exactly is the Mediterranean diet? It's a diet high in:

• Fruits including apples, oranges, orange or grapefruit juice, peaches, apricots, plums, and bananas;
• Vegetables including tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, corn, yams, spinach, and yellow squash;
• Legumes including peas, lima beans, lentils, and beans;
• Cereals including cold breakfast cereals, white or dark bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes (baked, grilled, or mashed);
• Monounsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil;
• Moderate amounts of fish of all types;
• A moderate amount of alcohol e.g wine with meals;
• Low amounts of meat, poultry and dairy products."

Read the entire article here.

Read my article about a Healthy Diet here.

The Mayo clinic has discovered that having your ovaries surgically removed can lead to eventual cognitive decline.  The earlier they are removed, the greater the risk. 

These days, some women who feel they are at high risk for ovarian cancer are having their ovaries pre-emptively removed:  this study may change their minds (while they still have them!).

Full story here. 

As a child I lived for some years in Sweden, and then went to school in England.  In both countries, black and red currants were common ingredients both in juices,and jams.  In fact, red currant jelly was a frequent accompaniment to game, used much as cranberry jelly is used here.

My foster Mother in Sweden used to put up rows and rows of bottles of "saft" , strong condensed juice, from her garden every year.

I was so surprised to discover them nowhere to be found in the USA!  All I could find out was some suggestion that they brought disease to trees - which also surprised me, since both Sweden and England are liberally supplied with trees of all kinds.

New research linking ingredients in black currants and blackberries to protection from Alzheimer's may bring these delicious and prolific , not to mention tasty, treats to prominence.

In the UK, they are telling it like it is:  junk food and the wrong fats can have a stultifying impact on the brain, its development and its functioning.

"Food can have an immediate and lasting effect on mental health and behaviour because of the way it affects the structure and function of the brain," Sustain's report says. Its chairman, Tim Lang, said: "Mental health has been completely neglected by those working on food policy. If we don't address it and change the way we farm and fish, we may lose the means to prevent much diet-related ill health."

Read the full report here.

Read the Vitamin Lady's article on a Healthy Dietary here.

New research on iron and Alzheimer's disease is absolutely fascinating.  If you have too high a level of iron, it exacerbates the disease; lowering iron levels in affected persons helps.  But too little iron chronically can also apparently be a factor in developing the disease ... 

Read the research here

and remember :  if you are a man check your iron levels before using supplements at any age.  If you are a woman, once you have stopped menstruating, the same advice holds good.

Using DHA from Algae ( Neuromins), studies are showing that use of this fatty acid is extremely beneficial for blood lipid profiles.  Of course, the studies took place originally because of the intriguing  composition of the blood profiles of Eskimos, and the intuition that their intake of fish might explain them!   DHA from Algae tends to be quite a bit more expensive.