Dementia is one of the leading causes of death and illness in Australia, and as our population ages, its rates will continue to rise.

This is of greater concern for women, who generally live longer and are more likely than men to reach the age of risk for the disease.

But hope is on the horizon as scientists believe one vitamin that we take for granted could reduce chance of developing the disease, especially among woman.

For years, scientists have known of the relationship between lower levels of vitamin D in older people and their increased risk dementia; now a recent study in the Alzheimer’s Association Journal suggests that taking vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of the developing the disease.

Researchers tracked the cognitive health of almost 12,400 participants over 10 years through the US National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) database, which collects data on older Americans with cognitive function ranging from normal to dementia.

From this, researchers separated the participants into two groups: those who consumed vitamin D supplements and those who did not. They found that almost 75 per cent of people who developed dementia had no exposure to vitamin D.

The researchers said the results strongly supported the idea that vitamin D should be used in possible dementia prevention programs in the future.

“Vitamin D has potential for dementia prevention, especially in the high-risk strata,” they wrote.

“Exposure to vitamin D supplementation was associated with a 40% lower dementia incidence rate than no exposure, providing strong support for supplementation.”

Vitamin D is a hormone that controls calcium levels in the blood, and is needed for bones, muscles and overall health. While you can obtain small amounts of vitamin D through food, the most effective way of obtaining it is through ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun.

Those who have naturally dark skin or who receive little sun exposure for such reasons as work, ethnic and religious requirements or ability issues are more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency.

And while the study showed vitamin D consumption was associated with lower dementia risks for all participants, the researchers noted that the better results for women were ”statistically significant.”

“This finding might be explained by the associations of estrogen and activated vitamin D and declining levels of estrogen in aging females,” the researchers wrote.

“Evidence has shown that estrogen may increase the activity of the enzymes responsible for activating vitamin D.”

While the results are encouraging, the urge to rush outside to get a good dose of vitamin D from the sun needs to be weighed up with the danger from sun exposure in this country.

And though we all need some sun exposure to help with adequate levels of vitamin D, too much exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause skin and eye damage, sunburn and skin cancer.

Betterhealth Victoria warns that body can only absorb a limited amount of vitamin D at a time, so spending extra time in the sun will not increase vitamin D levels but will increase your risk of skin cancer.

If you are looking for safe ways to increase your vitamin D intake, the website encourages people to take Vitamin D supplements, engage in more exercise (which aids the body’s vitamin D production) eat foods with high vitamin D levels such as fatty fish (salmon), eggs or foods with the added vitamin, including some margarines and some milks.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.