Low Vitamin D and Diabetes was first.

Low vitamin D and Dementia is now.

But where is the cause and effect?

Let’s be clear, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes.^[i] Yes, the strong association between low vitamin D and the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is crystal clear.^[ii] But it appears that vitamin D is not the “cause” of the insulin resistance; mere vitamin D supplementation is not a magic bullet.^[iii] The insulin resistance comes first.

The latest headline, “Low Vitamin D And Dementia” is the result of excited researchers, published in the journal Neurology on August 6^th 2014, who describe the link between low vitamin D and dementia onset. But I posit that it is the same associative data as the low vitamin D and Type 2 diabetes – insulin resistance is driving this train too.

In fact – there is some strong data to support the renaming dementia of the Alzheimers type “Diabetes Type 3”. Insulin resistance, as it develops in the brain, results in a lack of proper glucose utilization in the brain cells resulting in the pathology and expression of dementia.[iv] And cause and effect data once again brings us to insulin resistance as primary instigator.[v] Low vitamin D does not cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and low vitamin D does not cause dementia. It is the insulin resistance driving both the low vitamin D and the dementia onset risk.

Should we all get our vitamin D levels into the upper levels with supplements? No. But vitamin D deficiency is related to insulin resistance, and if uncorrected, high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes is more difficult to reverse. A mere 1,000 iu additional vitamin D is likely to be adequate for nearly everyone. Want to get to what is really important – the underlying cause? Correct the insulin resistance. Turn you body back into the insulin sensitive person you should be.