July 15, 2010
Can Vitamin D Improve Asthma Symptoms?
A few months ago, we commented in our blog about the importance of Vitamin D. Here’s an update: There is growing and convincing evidence of Vitamin D reducing asthma symptoms and having an impact on countless other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and bone loss.
In a recent article from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers looked at Vitamin D2 and D3 levels in adults with asthma. They also measured obstruction in the lungs in various ways. They reported a significant correlation between Vitamin D levels and lung obstruction. In other words, the lower the Vitamin D level, the more obstruction in the lungs. In addition, decreased or insufficient Vitamin D levels were linked to greater “twitchiness” of the lung, which makes the lungs more sensitive.
It is well known that many people have deficient Vitamin D levels, especially in the northern hemisphere. That’s because one of the sources of Vitamin D is the sun. It may be very surprising to learn, but levels of Vitamin D have also been quite deficient in the southern hemisphere where the sun is abundant.
In another recent study, researchers investigated the Vitamin D levels in children with asthma (newborn to 18 years) in the Denver region. Forty-seven percent of the patients had Vitamin D levels that are considered insufficient, and 17 percent were found to be Vitamin D deficient. The patients with low Vitamin D levels had higher levels of IgE, which signifies allergy. They also had more positive reactions to allergens. These investigators found the correlation between low Vitamin D levels and lung obstruction as in the adult study described above.
It’s promising research, but that doesn’t mean you should start taking large doses of Vitamin D. Instead, if you have allergies or another health issue, we recommend talking to your doctor and having your Vitamin D level checked. Patients who are deficient in Vitamin D3 levels can be given supplements under the advice of a physician.
