Vitamin D, medical alert system can help with Alzheimer’s
November 22, 2010
A new study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience has revealed that vitamin D may be a source of protection against Alzheimer’s. By studying rats with the condition, researchers discovered that those who are on a diet with no vitamin D fared worse than others, according to FoodConsumer.org.
This appears to suggest that nutrition can be linked to the disease. The rats with a lack of vitamin D showed poorer spatial learning abilities compared to the animals who were given a steady diet supplemented with the nutrient.
However, vitamin D supplements did have limits, as the researchers found that it didn’t improve spatial performance.
“Although vitamin D deficiency strengthens the spatial learning deficit in AD, a supplement… does not effectively underlie the maze performance. It can be concluded that subjects with AD [Alzheimer’s disease] must be protected from vitamin D inadequacy,” they wrote, according to the news source.
Those with Alzheimer’s may find it more difficult to remember to take different medications. A medical alert system can be programmed to dispense pills at certain times of days and notify patients when it is time to take their treatments.
The device will also send a medical alert to caregivers if pills aren’t taken on time.
