As reported by The Los Angeles Times and others, recent research seems to have identified the mechanism by which vitamin D protects the brain from cognitive decline associated with aging.

In the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, rats that were given higher doses of vitamin D over a period of time outperformed those given lower doses in trying to identify locations in a difficult water maze. Rats display similar factors of brain aging to humans, and this test is similar to humans trying to remember where they parked their car, the Times notes. The researchers from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine identified changes in the hippocampus, critical to memory and learning, of the brains of the rats given high doses. Most notably, increased vitamin D appears to aid in recycling and repackaging chemicals that help neurons communicate with each other.

“This process is like restocking shelves in grocery stores,” study co-author Nada Porter told the Times.

The Times article also notes that the vitamin D levels associated with improved cognition are much higher than those recommended by the Institute of Medicine, but are in line with what many other experts recommend.

Click here to read the coverage from the Los Angeles Times.

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