Although research into the role of vitamin D in the human brain is still in its infancy, results to date have suggested its possible use in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Several years ago, researchers in North Carolina performed a study to examine the role of vitamin D in cognitive ability. In that study, radio-labeled vitamin D was injected into rodents to trace the areas of the brain affected by the nutrient. Their results showed that several key areas of the brain involved in both memory and cognitive processes have receptors for vitamin D. In addition, since these same areas are those affected by age-dependent neural disorders, vitamin D supplementation may have a role in combating neurodegenerative diseases.26

To further examine the possible benefits of vitamin D to diseased neural tissue, a group working in Pennsylvania recently studied the effect of vitamin D on neural tissue growth. In their study, adult rat brain tissue was treated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, the metabolized product of vitamin D-via a single intracerebroventricular injection. The results showed that vitamin D elicited a two-fold increase in nerve growth factor mRNA in both the hippocampus and cortex, suggesting a possible role in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.