I was really interested to read the findings of a recent King’s College study into the positive effects of Vitamin D on Asthma patients published on BBC News today.
The study, funded by Asthma UK, found that Vitamin D can reduce asthma symptoms, particularly in patients resistant to typical steroid treatments.
Scientists examined IL-17A, a chemical produced naturally by the body that exacerbates asthma symptoms when produced at high levels.
Asthma sufferers produce more IL-17A than non-Asthma sufferers, while steroid-resistant Asthma sufferers produce even more.
The results of the tests showed that Vitamin D significantly reduced the production of IL-17A across all patients – indicating that it may soon be able to be used alongside conventional asthma treatments, and would reduce the need for steroid-based medication.
Professor Catherine Hawrylowicz, who led the study, said that the results,
“…show that Vitamin D could one day be used not only to treat people with steroid resistant asthma but also to reduce the doses of steroids in other asthma patients, reducing the risk of harmful side effects.”
Vitamin D deficiency is a really important issue I’ve mentioned before on the blog both in terms of skin health and general health.
It’s fantastic to see more research being done into the really important role it plays in our bodies, and how regular doses can help ease conditions that so many people have to live with everyday.
Let’s watch this space for more interesting findings….
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