![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/woman-taking-iron-supplement-capsule-with-glass-of-water-female-health-care-iron-deficiency-6878008..jpeg\" "\\"Woman")
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People have been warned not to take too much (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
The late Dr Michael Mosley<\/a> highlighted vitamin D as an important nutrient that may support mental health and help protect against dementia.<\/p>\n On BBC Radio 4’s Just One Thing with Michael Mosley, <\/a>he explained that vitamin D<\/a> may help protect the brain. He also noted that in the UK, sunlight levels in winter are too low to produce enough vitamin D naturally, saying: \u201cIn the winter, I take this tiny little pill every day.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: “Taking this cheap, little supplement<\/a> could bolster your immune system, making you less likely to catch a cold. And there is mounting evidence that in high doses it may even protect you from cognitive decline and dementia.”<\/p>\n Mosley revealed that “since its discovery in the 1920s, vitamin D\u2019s best-known role is keeping bones healthy by increasing our body\u2019s absorption of calcium. That\u2019s why rickets, which used to be very common, is rare now”.<\/p>\n Mosley made an exception for the supplement, explaining: “Now, I don’t normally recommend supplements on Just One Thing, but for vitamin D, I am making an exception.”<\/p>\n He explained that while many know it’s great for our bones, studies show it’s better for us than we think. Mosley noted that “scientists have discovered vitamin D receptors in nearly all the cells of our body, suggesting that its health benefits extend far beyond bones”.<\/p>\n Read more: Octopus Energy urges UK homeowners to adjust boiler settings to save \u00a3517 <\/a><\/p>\n Read more: NHS advises pregnant women to take vitamin for baby’s brain and spine <\/a><\/p>\n Vitamin D and dementia<\/p>\n On its website, the BBC<\/a> reported that Dr David Llewellyn from the University of Exeter analysed a large US study that followed over 1,600 people. It found that those with vitamin D deficiency were more than 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia. In people with severe deficiency, the risk was more than doubled – about 125% higher.<\/p>\n Llewellyn said: \u201cIt was the first compelling evidence to link low levels of vitamin D in the blood to an increased risk of dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about the link between the vitamin and brain health, the university Professor notes that it appears to interact with the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease with the BBC<\/a> noting it can “chop up abnormal proteins that form in the brain, such as amyloid plaques and tau, and clearing them.<\/p>\n \u201cOther scientists have argued that it also helps to protect the blood supply to the brain and reduce inflammation,\u201d says Llewellyn, \u201cand that might be helpful with other types of dementia like vascular dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n Do I get enough vitamin D from the sun?<\/p>\n In the UK during winter, there isn\u2019t enough sunlight for most people to make adequate vitamin D. In spring and summer, the skin can produce vitamin D from sunlight, but in winter the sunlight is too weak and limited. As a result, vitamin D deficiency is common and may have a greater impact on health than previously understood, according to Llewellyn.<\/p>\n Some groups of people are at even higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, so it becomes a greater health concern for them. \u201cIf you have dark skin you don\u2019t produce as much vitamin D from exposure to the same amount of UV radiation,\u201d explains Llewellyn. In the UK, over 50% of people of South Asian descent are actually deficient in vitamin D during the winter months.<\/p>\n On top of this, vitamin D deficiency gets more common with age as our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D: \u201cMore than half of older adults are below the threshold for deficiency,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n How much vitamin D do I need?<\/p>\n