The findings revealed that invidious with low vitamin D levels had a 53 percent increased risk of developing dementia.

Those with a more serious deficiency had a 125 per cent increased risk of developing dementia compared to participants with normal levels of vitamin D.

In terms of Alzheimer’s disease risk, individuals with lower levels of vitamin D were almost 70 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Those with a severe deficiency, on the other hand, were 120 percent more likely to go on to develop dementia.

The study, David Llewellyn, of the University of Exeter Medical School in England, said: “We expected to find an association between low vitamin D levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but the resists were surprising - we actually found that the association was twice as strong as we anticipated

He continued: “Clinical trials are […] needed to establish whether eating foods such as oily fish or taking vitamin D supplements can delay or even prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

“We need to be cautious at this early stage and our […] results do not demonstrate that low vitamin D levels cause dementia