A new study conducted in Finland indicated that low level of vitamin D increases the risk of Parkinson disease.
This study was carried out among 3000 people in Finland, an area where sunlight exposure is limited and the population vitamin D level is lower (50% lower) than the suggested optimal level of 75 to 80 nmol/L.
During the 29-year follow-up period, 50 incident cases of Parkinson’s disease were reported. Using mathematic equation and the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels collected at baseline, the researchers calculated the relationship between vitamin D concentration and Parkinson’s disease.
The investigators found that individuals with a serum vitamin D concentration of at least 50 nmol/L had a 65% lower risk for Parkinson’s than those with values less than 25 nmol/L.
The exact mechanisms by which vitamin D may protect against Parkinson’s disease are not fully understood, but Vitamin D has been known to exhibit neuroprotective effects through antioxidative mechanisms and detoxification mechanisms.
Source: Arch Neurol. 2010;67:808-811.
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