Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Parkinson's Disease Risk A study conducted in Finland, links higher levels of vitamin D to a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Specifics of Vitamin D Vitamin D is a “fat-soluble” vitamin produced by a small series of foods and produced within the body when ultraviolet rays from the sun hit the skin.  The researchers said Vitamin D “has been shown to exert a protective effect on the brain through antioxidant activities, regulation of calcium levels, detoxification, modulation of the immune system and enhanced conduction of electricity through neurons,” but still haven’t been able to clarify how this nutrient influences the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The study was published in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, and by the end of the 29-year period, in which 3,173 Finnish men and women (between the ages of 50-79) free of Parkinson’s were followed, 50 of them had acquired the illness.

Vitamin D Deficiency Risk of Parkinson’s Other risks Finland has limited amounts of sunlight, and so its population has constantly low vitamin D levels. After considering other elements such as the body mass of each subject and their physical activity, the subjects with the highest levels of vitamin D were found to have 67% lower risk of developing the illness than those with the lowest levels of vitamin D. Many Americans also suffer from low Vitamin D levels, due to limited exposure to sunlight due to skin cancer concerns. Vitamin D supplements are recommended to prevent Vitamin D deficiency, which is linked to a number of health concerns including osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, muscle weakness and brain health.