New research from the UK suggests that vitamin D could be used to treat patients suffering from asthma.

“We know people with high levels of vitamin D are better able to control their asthma – that connection is quite striking,” researcher Catherine Hawrylowicz in a news release

The recent study from King’s College of London investigated the impact of vitamin D on interleukin-17, a chemical in the body that is a vital part of the immune system, but is known to exacerbate asthma symptoms and inhibit the effectiveness of steroids typically used to treat symptoms. When vitamin D was added to blood samples, it effectively lowered levels of interleukin-17. Clinical trials will now specifically examining the impact on patients that don’t respond to steroid treatment. Researchers believe that vitamin D holds promise to reduce the use of steroids in asthma treatment, therefore limiting negative side effects.

“These findings are very exciting as they 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,” Hawrylowicz said in a news release. “The results are so positive that we are testing this in a clinical trial in steroid resistant asthma patients to further research the possibilities of Vitamin D as a potential treatment.”

Hawrylowicz also noted that the culture of covering up in the sun and using sun cream may have increased asthma rates, according to a report from BBC News.

Click here to read the BBC News report on the study.

Click here to view the study text in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

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