Vitamin D, DHA May Help Alzheimer's Patients, Study Says

LOS ANGELESVitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may help remove amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. In the small pilot study, researchers from University of California Los Angeles found key genes and networks connected to vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that may improve plaque removal and control inflammation.

"Our new study sheds further light on a possible role for nutritional substances such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 in boosting immunity to help fight Alzheimer's," said study author Milan Fiala, M.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Scientists drew blood from Alzheimer's patients and control subjects, isolating macrophage immune cells crucial to remove waste from the brain and body. They incubated the cells with amyloid-beta, and then added either vitamin D3 or DHA to study the results on inflammation. Both additions improved the Alzheimer's macrophages' ability to clear waste.

"We may find that we need to carefully balance the supplementation with vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, depending on each patient in order to help promote efficient clearing of amyloid-beta," Fiala said. "This is a first step in understanding what form and in which patients these nutrition substances might work best."

Vitamin D has started off 2013 with strong research supporting its potential benefits and the effects of its defiency. A newly published study in PLos ONE journal found obesity can lead to vitamin D deficiency after studying genetic markers from 42,000 subjects. For more information on recent vitamin D news, read INSIDER's 2012: A Year in Review Digital Issue.