Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to increased chances of developing Schizophrenia. While Vitamin B may be the new wonder drug to fight Alzheimer's disease.
Infants with low levels of vitamin D were found to be twice as likely to develop schizophrenia as compared to babies with normal levels. In a recent study conducted by the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers discovered the vitamin responsible for cell growth and brain development plays a vital roll in this disease making its appearance later in life.
Vitamin D is called the 'sunshine vitamin' since we absorb it from the sun. Just 10 minutes a day is considered a sufficient amount of exposure. "Schizophrenia is thought to be more common the further away you are from the equator, though it hasn't necessarily been looked into in terms of climates," said Dr. David Hahn, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University Medical Center. "You can assume that there is more sunlight in warmer climates closer to the equator and could hypothesize that there is a correlation."
This study was inspired by another study that revealed that people born in the winter and spring months were more likely to develop schizophrenia. This mental condition is known to cause hallucinations, paranoia and other social development issues and tends to first appear in males ages 15-25 and females 20-30.
In other vitamin news pertaining to the brain, Vitamin B may be the new wonder drug in helping patients with Alzheimer's disease. This brain-shrinking disease affects an estimated 5.3 Americans. A daily dose of vitamin B has shown to half the amount of brain shrinkage which may lead to slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease-a disease that typically can follow dementia. While evidence shows that vitamin B helps reduce the brain reduction, no signs have indicated that this vitamin improved cognitive functions. ""There is no evidence that people benefited in terms of memory function," Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, told AOL Health.
All vitamins should be viewed as a drug.
Vitamins in excess amounts can be harmful, so be sure to discuss this with your doctor before adding any vitamins to your daily regimen.
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