Vitamin D Fails the Asthma Test

These supplements probably won't protect you from eczema or allergies either, researchers say

By Robert Preidt

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D supplements aren't likely to reduce the risk of asthma, allergies or the skin condition eczema in children or adults, a new study finds.

Previous research had suggested that low vitamin D levels were linked with these "atopic" conditions. For the new study, Canadian researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 people to determine if this was true.

The investigators found no statistically significant differences in rates of asthma, allergies or eczema between people with low or normal levels of vitamin D.

The results were published online May 9 in the journal PLoS Medicine.

"Our findings suggest that previous associations between low vitamin D and atopic disease could be due to spurious associations with other factors," lead study author Despoina Manousaki said in a journal news release.

Manousaki is a doctoral student at Lady Davis Institute, the research arm of Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.

In a previous study, the same group of researchers said it found that low vitamin D levels increase the risk of certain inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, because exposure to sunlight produces it in your skin. It's also found in certain foods, including fortified dairy products, fatty fish and egg yolks.

SOURCE: PLoS Medicine, news release, May 9, 2017

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