Can Vitamin D Help Parkinsons

Finnish researchers say that if you have low vitamin D levels this may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life.

The Finnish study of 3,000 people which was published in Archives of Neurology, found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D – also known as the sunshine vitamin - had a three-fold higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Even though more research will need to be done vitamin D could help to protect the nerve cells which are gradually lost by people with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson's disease affects the brain, which then leads to tremor and very slow movement symptoms.

Finnish 30-year study
The study from Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare calculated the vitamin D levels from the study group – the levels were measured between 1978 and 1980, by using blood samples.

This study was carried out in Finland, in an area with limited sunlight exposure, and is based on a population where the people have a low vitamin D levels.
Then they followed the study group over 30 years to see if they developed Parkinson's disease. 50 of the study group participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The study found that the people in the study group who had the lowest levels of vitamin D were three times more prone to developing Parkinson's disease, then the study group with higher levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D can be made by the body, but only when the skin is uncovered to the sunlight. There are some foods that also contain vitamin D like oily fish, milk and some cereals.

But as we age, our skin becomes less able to make vitamin D. Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the immune system and is also very important for the nervous system.

Marian Evatt, the assistant professor of neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine, thinks that health authorities ought to consider raising the levels of vitamin D.

30 nanograms per millilitre of blood, seems to be optimal for bone health in human beings.

But researchers don't know what the optimal level is for brain health. They also don’t know at what point vitamin D – if at all – could become toxic for human beings. This is why vitamin D needs even more studies.

The Finish study does provide clues about certain environmental factors that could influence or protect people against the development of Parkinson disease.

A good balanced healthy diet could provide people with the recommended levels of vitamin D. And if you live in an area where there is hardly any sunshine then it might be worth taking a dietary supplement to increase your vitamin D levels.

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