Neuroprotective and immune effects of active forms of vitamin D3 and docosahexaenoic acid in Alzheimer disease patients | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 1 No. 12 (2011): December 2011 / Review Articles Neuroprotective and immune effects of active forms of vitamin D3 and docosahexaenoic acid in Alzheimer disease patients Authors Milan Fiala Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 650 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735 Mathew T. Mizwicki Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 650 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v1i12.107 Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer disease (AD), afflict an increasing proportion of the older population with aging. Decreased exposure to sunlight and decreased consumption of fish, fruits, and vegetables, are two epidemiological factors that appear to be related to the pandemic of AD. In addition to replacing simple with complex carbohydrates and avoiding saturated fat, two nutritional components, vitamin D (acting through the endogenous hormonal form 1α,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, 1,25D) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (acting through the docosanoid lipidic modulators resolvins and neuroprotectins) have high potential for prevention of Alzheimer disease. 1,25D is a neuroprotective, it acts both directly and indirectly in neurons by improving the clearance of amyloid-beta by macrophages/microglia. Resolvins and neuroprotectins inhibit amyloidogenic processing of amyloid-precursor protein, inflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis. It is likely that the increased consumption of vitamin D and fish oil could prevent neurodegeneration in some subjects by maintaining adequate endocrine, paracrine, and/or autocrine production of 1,25D and the DHA-derived lipidic modulators. Before firm recommendations of the dosage can be proposed, however, the in vivo effects of vitamin D3 and DHA supplementation should be investigated by prospective studies. Key words: Alzheimer disease, vitamin D3, DHA, fish oil Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2011-12-30 Issue Vol. 1 No. 12 (2011): December 2011 Section Review Articles License Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com