- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Dietary Vitamin D Linked to Better Cognitive Function and Mood in Elderly: Study

Research indicates that higher dietary intake of vitamin D is associated with improved cognitive performance and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults. While these findings are promising, further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm a causal relationship and understand the biological mechanisms involved.
Vitamin D is known to have a potential impact on cognitive function and mental health. This study aims to assess the association between dietary vitamin D intake and cognitive performance, as well as depression, in an elderly U.S. population. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 were analyzed. A total of 1,344 elderly participants were categorized into three tertiles based on their dietary vitamin D intake (D2 + D3). Cognitive function was measured using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and Animal Fluency Test, while depression was assessed through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Adjustments were made for confounding variables, including age, sex, race, education, physical activity level, and other dietary factors. Results: After adjustment for confounders, individuals in the 3rd tertile of vitamin D intake (≥4.9 mcg/day) had significantly reduced odds of low performance on the CERAD test (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.57-0.98; p = 0.031) and Animal Fluency test (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85; p = 0.013) compared to the 1st tertile of intake (≤2.4 mcg/day). Similarly, participants in the 3rd tertile of vitamin D intake had lower odds of depression (PHQ-9 score > 4) after adjustment (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.99; p = 0.046). The findings suggest that dietary vitamin D intake is associated with improved cognitive function and depressive symptoms in elderly individuals. However, further longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality and explore the underlying mechanisms.
Reference:
Chen H, Pang X, Huang Y. Higher dietary vitamin D intake influences brain and mental function in elderly Americans: a cross-sectional analysis. Front Nutr. 2025 Apr 9;12:1564568. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1564568. PMID: 40271436; PMCID: PMC12016215.
Keywords
Dietary, Vitamin D, Linked, Better, Cognitive, Function, Mood, Elderly, Chen H, Pang X, Huang Y, NHANES; cognitive function; depression; elderly; vitamin D.
Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.