Tomar vitamina D preserva las funciones cognitivas a lo largo de los años

La vitamina D parece proteger al cerebro del paso de los años, ya que las personas con altas concentraciones en sangre de este nutriente muestran mejores funciones cognitivas.

A dichas conclusiones llegó un estudio realizado en la Universidad de Tufts (Estados Unidos). Los autores se enfocaron en el efecto de la vitamina D, un compuesto que facilita la absorción del calcio y ayuda a regular la concentración del calcio y el fósforo en la sangre. Este importante nutriente se encuentra principalmente en productos lácteos, pescados y la margarina, pero el cuerpo humano puede sintetizarla tras una leve exposición al sol.

La posible relación entre la vitamina D y las funciones cognitivas es muy importante ya que cada día más personas alcanzan edades mayores. Los autores aseguraron que identificar los factores nutricionales que preservan estas capacidades y ayudan a mantener la independencia de los adultos mayores proveería beneficios económicos y de salud pública.

Los investigadores ya sabían por estudios previos que el metabolismo de la vitamina D pasa por el hipocampo y el cerebelo, dos regiones del cerebro relacionadas con el planeamiento, el procesamiento y la formación de nuevas memorias. Por ese motivo, se considera que este nutriente está potencialmente relacionado con las funciones cognitivas.

Vitamina y cerebro

Katherine Tucker, la autora principal, trabajó con más de 1000 adultos mayores de 65 a 99 años que recibían asistencia en su hogar. La especialista midió la concentración de vitamina D en sangre y realizó tests neuropsicológicos para analizar el estado de las funciones cognitivas.

A continuación, los voluntarios fueron clasificados en tres grupos según la cantidad de este nutriente en sangre: deficiente, insuficiente y suficiente. Las personas con cantidad suficiente de vitamina D mostraron un mejor desempeño cognitivo que aquellos con cantidades insuficientes o deficientes. Sus resultados fueron particularmente buenos en áreas como la flexibilidad mental, la complejidad perceptual y el razonamiento.

Además, Tucker subrayó que sólo el 35% de los voluntarios alcanzaron cantidades suficientes de vitamina D, y cree que en parte se debe a que los adultos mayores que permanecen demasiadas horas en su hogar no reciben cantidades suficientes de sol.

Tomar vitamina D preserva las funciones cognitivas a lo largo de los años
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