研究发现维生素D补充剂或能减缓痴呆

Study: Vitamin D Supplements Might Slow Dementia 研究发现维生素D补充剂或能减缓痴呆

Over the next 50 years, it's expected that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia will strengthen their grip on older adults worldwide. Researchers are studying vitamin D to see if it can slow the onset¹ of dementia

Vitamin D comes from the sun and from some foods like nuts, lentils and fatty fish.

Researchers have found that low levels of vitamin D could be related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common forms of dementia. Alzheimer's can be exhausting for caregivers and frightening to those who have it.

"The worse thing that I found was I was getting lost in the car, not just forgetting where I was going - I wouldn't know where I was," said dementia sufferer, Chris Roberts.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 47 million people suffer from dementia, with about 60 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries - countries with the least ability to cope.

U.S. researchers studied older adults and measured both their vitamin D levels and their cognitive² ability: that is, the ability to remember things and to process thoughts.   

“Some of the subjects had outright³ dementia, some had mild cognitive impairment and some had what we would call normal cognitive functioning,” said Dr. Joshua Miller⁴ of Rutgers University.   

The researchers found that about 60 percent of the group was low in vitamin D.

“Those who had dementia also had lower vitamin D status than those who had mild cognitive impairment or who had normal cognitive functioning,”  Miller said.

Those low in vitamin D showed more short-term memory loss, as well as less ability to organize thoughts, prioritize tasks and make decisions.

“They were declining about two-and-a-half times faster than those who had adequate vitamin D,” Miller said.

While this study shows that vitamin D seems to play a role in slowing the onset of dementia, more studies are needed to see if vitamin D supplements can help slow this decline.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

2 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

3 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。