A small pilot study conducted at UCLA and published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that both vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA may play an important role in eliminating amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Blood was drawn from patients with Alzheimer's disease and then allowed to incubate overnight in a solution containing either an active form of vitamin D3 or an active form of DHA. Both solutions increased the ability of macrophages, immune cells, to gobble up amyloid beta, and both solutions decreased cell death induced by amyloid beta. Each solution used a different pathway to achieve the same result.
Vitamin D3, the "sunshine vitamin," and DHA, found primarily in fish oils, are important for health in general, so including it in one's daily supplementation is probably a good idea whether or not long-term human studies show a benefit in preventing Alzheimer's disease. Stick to the recommended doses.
Please visit my website at www.drjessicaseaton.com
No comments:
Post a Comment