Fluticasone metered dose inhaler (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Two peak flow meters. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a very interesting piece of research reported by the BBC. It’s well worth a read. Check it out!
BBC News – Sunshine vitamin ‘may treat asthma’.
It would be good new indeed if Vitamin D or more sunshine could replace steroids in the treatment of asthma.
Any thoughts?
Asthma before-after (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles
Dr Alf's Blog 
Trouble is I don’t think most people understand that naturally, humans living outdoors as human DNA evolved in East Africa, naturally attain and maintain 25(OH)D equilibrium around 125nmol/l with levels rising naturally during pregnancy and with age. Around 125nmol/l vitamin D is most effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. The switching from Calcidiol (circulating form) to Calcitriol (active hormonal form) is optimised in people with adequate magnesium and omega 3 status.
The matter is further complicated because magnesium excretion is higher in people with an acidifying diet (high protein/glucose). If we ate more veggies we’d not only increase our magnesium intake but the extra potassium would lower acidity and reduce magnesium excretion.
So sure increasing your vitamin D intake by the amounts suggested by GrassrootsHealth to reach 50ng/ml or 125nmol/l and that should help. But to be sure your body is best able to use that extra vitamin D efficiently, you’ll also need to increase your sources of magnesium, potassium and omega 3.
One thing is almost certain and that is that should any further research be done, the researchers will use inadequate amounts of vitamin D (human skin creates 10,000iu+ given full body non-burning sun exposure) will fail to attain or maintain a NATURAL 25(OH)D level for human DNA, use the wrong type (D2 plant form not Cholecalciferiol D3 human form) for too short a time (can take up to 3 years to fully replete vitamin in tissue) and without correcting Vitamin D cofactor deficiencies.
So after the research is completed they can truthfully say Vit D, in the amounts we tested, for the time and in the manner we supplied it (probably megadoses rather than daily natural amounts) we found no benefits from Vitamin D. (they will also fail to mention the research contracts they laboratory has with big pharma and which would be jeopardized if they were know to promote the effective use of cheap readily available supplements.
We should also make the point that current steroid treatments keep people locked into Asthma because they DEPLETE natural 25(OH)D status. in the same way higher levels of Cortisol (the stress hormone) also lower vitamin D status. It’s not simply a case of treating the symptoms, we should be concerned about why so many of our young people have such low Vitamin D levels. Some of it can be explained by time indoors, overuse of sunscreen, kids wearing jeans/leggings rather than bare legs and shorts/skirts. It not just a matter of reducing the atmospheric pollution city children are exposed to we should also be questioning the stress current lifestyles create.
I’ve been following the Vitamin D story for long enough to have seen what happens in practice.
It was over 60 years ago the idea MS was linked to Low Vitamin D status. 25(OH)D test any number of people with MS and if you find any with 25(OH)D levels at or above 125nmol/l they will be the exceptions even though we know that at that level there will be fewer flares, slower progression and lower levels of disability.
Edward, thank you very much for sharing your views. I’m not technical and struggled a bit to follow your argument.
Could you please clarify your position on more sunshine vs. conventional steroids?
Thanks
Alf