Researchers from Britain’s Exeter University and Hotchkiss Brain Institute based in Calgary, Canada have concluded that people who regularly take vitamin D supplements may have less risk of coming down with dementia than those who don’t, the Daily Mail reports.

Their study of 12,400 people concluded that those who regularly took vitamin D had 40% fewer cases of dementia compared to the group who didn’t take the supplement.

They believe this is because vitamin D may reduce the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau in the brain, which is responsible for both dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Speaking on behalf of the research group, Professor Zahinoor Ismail, who teaches at both the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter, said:

‘We know that vitamin D has some effects in the brain that could have implications for reducing dementia, however so far, research has yielded conflicting results.

‘Our findings give key insights into groups who might be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation.

‘Overall, we found evidence to suggest that earlier supplementation might be particularly beneficial, before the onset of cognitive decline.’

READ: Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims

This is not the first study to reach this conclusion. READ: Sunshine, a natural dementia drug? Adults with high vitamin D levels are up to a THIRD less likely to suffer memory-robbing condition, study finds