Effect of vitamin D in academic performance of children

Previous research indicates that high levels of vitamin D enhances cognitive function in adults. A new study showed the effect of vitamin D and the impact of vitamin D3 or D2 in children, based on data from children who are part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which is tracking the long term health of a large group of children born in the early 1990s. Results showed that vitamin D3 levels were not associated with better academic achievement and higher levels of vitamin D2 were linked to poorer performance in English. The researchers suggested that the benefits of the vitamin on adult brain power emerges later in life, which may be either because the vitamin has more impact on the aging brain or because it has a cumulative lifelong effect. The results of the study suggested that protection of children from UVB exposure is unlikely to have any damaging effect on academic achievement.