A study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates that a good daily dose of vitamin D has a beneficial effect on brain capacity in the elderly.
The vitamin absorbed by sun exposure can also be consumed by taking supplements or eating foods like oily fish.
David Lee, who conducted the study with his colleagues at the University of Manchester, reported, "At the population level, we are talking about large numbers of people. If there is a link it could potentially have a significant effect. It is so easy to rectify with supplementation."
The researchers compared the cognitive performances of over 3 000 European men aged 40 to 79, and found that those who had a lower level of vitamin D were less successful at performing tasks designed to test their mental agility.
Lee and his team did not, however, explain why there is a link between mental agility and vitamin D, but there is speculation that the vitamin is instrumental in increasing hormonal activity or protecting the neurons in the brain.
Recent studies also demonstrated that vitamin D protects against cancer, arterial diseases and tuberculosis.