Eating fish - long considered 'brain food' by generations of housewives - really is good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.
University of Manchester scientists have shown that vitamin D - synthesised naturally when the skin is exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays but also found in oily fish - improved the brain function of middle-aged and older men. The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 years at eight test centres across Europe.
The researchers found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in an internationally-recognised test that assesses an individual's memory, recognition capabilities and speed of information processing.
"Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings but we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information-processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D," said lead author Dr David Lee, in Manchester's School of Translational Medicine.
"The main strengths of our study are that it is based on a large population sample and took into account potential influences, such as depression and levels of physical activity.
"Interestingly, the association between increased vitamin D and faster information processing was more significant in men aged over 60 years, although the biological reasons for this remain unclear.
"The positive effects vitamin D appears to have on the brain need to be explored further but certainly raise questions about its potential benefit for those with or susceptible to dementia."
Source
The University of Manchester
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