How Vitamin D Protects Your Brain from Parkinson's - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

Vitamin D may play a protective role in Parkinson's disease, with clinical trials showing improvements in balance and mobility for patients taking supplements of 1,000 to 10,000 IU daily
The "sunshine vitamin" has neuroprotective effects in the brain, particularly in a key area affected by Parkinson's that helps produce dopamine
Vitamin D deficiency is common in Parkinson's patients and contributes to disease progression, as this nutrient helps regulate inflammation and protects brain cells from damage
Sunlight is the optimal source of vitamin D; ideally get daily exposure until just before your skin turns slightly pink — though those with darker skin need longer exposure times
If sun exposure is limited, vitamin D supplements are useful to help maintain optimal levels (60 to 80 ng/mL); take supplements with healthy fats and monitor your levels with regular blood tests

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:04.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:09.3	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:14.1	Did you know that more than half of people living with Parkinson's are short on vitamin D,
0:20.0	and that bringing your level into
0:21.5	the sweet spot can measurably steady the way you walk. Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular
0:27.3	wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster and with me is Alara Sky. Today you'll learn how optimizing your vitamin
0:33.3	D, preferably from safe sun exposure, may protect your brain, improve balance, and keep
0:39.3	your mitochondria humming.
0:40.3	Vitamin D often gets pigeonholed as the bone health vitamin, yet it influences thousands
0:45.3	of genes, many of them inside your brain.
0:48.3	We'll break down the latest trials, explain why deficiency is so common in Parkinson's,
0:53.3	and give you practical steps to raise your level
0:55.5	to the 60 to 80 nanograms per milliliter range where research shows you gain the most benefit.
1:01.4	Let's start with the evidence. Clinical data can feel abstract. So put this in real-world terms.
1:08.0	When researchers supplemented people with Parkinson's, what changes did they measure in
1:12.2	daily movement? A 2023 review in clinical nutrition open science pooled four trials. Participants who took
1:20.3	between 1,000 and 10,000 IU of vitamin D, three daily improved on timed walking tests,
1:27.0	particularly the six-minute walk, which mimics
1:29.6	everyday activities like crossing a parking lot. Even modest gains in gate speed translate to
1:35.2	greater independence in your routine. Doses from 1,000 to 10,000 IU is a widespread. Did the
1:41.8	review find a single best amount, Or is the story more nuanced?
	...

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