Vitamin D: another weapon in the arsenal against cognitive decline

According to a sizeable study published in the May issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, getting plenty of Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin - may help keep you sharper as you age.

The study measured the vitamin D blood levels in more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79, and then assessed their performance on standard cognitive tests. They discovered that men with lower levels of the vitamin scored lower on measures of cognitive agility when compared to those with higher levels - even after adjusting for differences like depression, physical activity levels and education. These factors all affect cognitive ability and agility as we age.

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Sunscreen: less is actually more

According to the latest issue ( August 2009) of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, you shouldn’t get sucked in by super duper high suncreens with SPF values of 70 to 100. The difference is tiny, with an SPF of 40 providing 97% protection and a SPF of 80 providing 99% protection.

The key with any sunscreen is to apply it liberally and frequently - every couple hours to achieve the rated SPF factor on the label.

You also need to remember that the SPF value doesn’t apply to UVA. Those are the really damaging rays that cause aging and contribute to skin cancer.

The article says that any SPF between 15 and 30 is just fine for most people, and if you need more protection then use something with a zinc oxide, titanium oxide, avobenzone or Mexoryl component.