Studies Vitamin D intake can reduce severe asthma attacks by half

What are the benefits of taking vitamin D in people with asthma??

An asthma disease can lead to severe asthma attacks, which may even require hospitalization. Researchers now found that taking vitamin-D pills reduces emergency department visits and hospital admissions for severe asthma attacks by about half.

The scientists at Queen Mary University of London found in their recent study that taking vitamin D pills reduces the number of people who are hospitalized for an acute asthma attack in an emergency room or hospitalized. The researchers published the results of their study in the journal "The Lancet Respiratory Medicine".

Where does the human body get vitamin D from??

Vitamin D is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight. It also contains oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna. Red meat, liver, egg yolks and some fortified foods also contain vitamin D. When asthmatics take vitamin D, it reduces the likelihood that they will need steroids after experiencing severe respiratory problems, the experts explain.

In the UK alone, three people die every day from asthma attacks

Asthma is a long term, incurable disease that affects about 5.4 million people in the UK alone. It affects around one in twelve adults and one in eleven children. Asthma attacks kill three people in the UK every day, but two of them could be prevented by adequate care, the authors explain.

Researchers examine the data of 955 subjects

Scientists believe that vitamin D protects against asthma attacks by augmenting immune responses to respiratory viruses and reducing the likelihood of harmful airway inflammation. The physicians of the Queen Mary University of London analyzed the data from a total of 955 participants in seven randomized controlled trials, which examined the use of vitamin D supplements.

How does the intake of vitamin D affect the calcium level??

Taking vitamin D also reduces the risk of experiencing an asthma attack, which requires hospitalization, by about 50 percent. About six percent of all asthmatics experience such severe complications, and taking vitamin D reduces the likelihood to three percent, the scientists said. There were no side effects, such as cases of excessively high levels of calcium or kidney stones, when taking the administered doses of vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin D supports bone health and immune function

The study results show that vitamin D can support immune function as well as bone health, explains author Professor Adrian Martineau. Vitamin D is safe to take and relatively inexpensive. For example, supplements could be a potentially cost-effective strategy for reducing asthma attacks.

Significant protective effect detected by vitamin D in some people

With so many individuals involved in the study, scientists were able to study exactly what effects Vitamin D supplements have on different groups of people. In particular, the study found that dietary supplements with vitamin D provide a strong and statistically significant protective effect in low-vitamin D participants. A 55 percent reduction in the rate of asthma attacks was seen in asthmatics, who usually performed steroid tablets or injections.

Results clarify uncertainties regarding the use of vitamin D in asthma

Our findings are largely based on data from adults with mild to moderate asthma, the author explains. David Jolliffe. Children and adults with severe asthma are relatively underrepresented in the dataset. For this reason, the findings can not necessarily be transferred to these patient groups. There are other ongoing international clinical trials whose data can be used for future analysis. In that case, it may be possible to determine whether the results also affect a larger and more diverse group of patients. The current study used the data from several other investigations worldwide world and is an important contribution to reducing uncertainties as to whether vitamin D can be helpful for the treatment of asthma, the experts explain. (As)