Does Vitamin D Help With Asthma?

Indian researchers have concluded that vitamin D has a “definite role” in the management of moderate to severe bronchial asthma, even though a JAMA study yielded null results just weeks ago.

In the six-month study on 100 asthmatic children in India, researchers Madhu Yadav and Kundan Mittal assigned each child to a daily sachet of vitamin D₃ (totaling 60,000 IU each month) or glucose placebo. Monthly visits up until the end of the study would indicate that vitamin D₃ use was associated with fewer asthma attacks, significantly lower use of steroid drugs for asthma relief, significantly reduced asthma severity, and better test scores with a peak expiratory flow meter.

While Yadav and Mittal admit that they should have measured vitamin D blood levels before and during the study, their conclusion that vitamin D has a “definite role” in managing asthma alongside standard asthma treatment makes matters interesting. The JAMA study on 200 adults using the inhaler drug ciclesonide with added vitamin D₃ did not show similar benefit.

It appears the jury is still out on whether or not vitamin D intake can help with asthma.

Robby Gardner

Associate Editor

Nutritional Outlook magazine

robby.gardner@ubm.com