Cognition

Vitamin D genetic link to dementia

This is the first study worldwide to measure gene variations and vitamin D levels, and compare to chances for dementia and stroke. Doctors made the comparisons in 427,690 participants and found chances for dementia were 54 percent higher in those whose vitamin D levels were 25 nanomoles per liter of blood (nmol/L) compared to those whose vitamin D levels were 50 nmol/L.

Those with lower vitamin D levels also had lower volumes of brain white-matter, and greater chances for

stroke. Doctors said this large genetic variation analysis supports a cause-andeffect relationship between deficiency in vitamin D and dementia, and that as much as 17 percent of dementia in some populations may be prevented by increasing vitamin D levels to 50 nmol/L.

Amino acids boost motivation, cognition

Reducing stress improves the ability to focus at work, which has become more urgent post-pandemic. In this study, 44 participants complaining of fatigue, aged 20 to 65, took a placebo or a daily combination of five amino acids. The amino acids were 1 g D,L-alanine, 1 g L-aspartate, 0.5 g L-glutamate, 1 g L-tyrosine, and 0.5 g serine per day.

After four weeks, compared to placebo, those taking the amino acids had higher scores on task

orientation, time management, and spatial cognition. Doctors made the measurements during two, two-hour

sets of working memory and attention tasks, concluding, “Our combination of amino acids in this trial contributed to maintaining proper motivation and cognitive function.”

Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 2022, nqac107, Published Online