Kids who have low levels of vitamin D have a higher chance of asthma attacks, according to a study presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. This study is preliminary, at best, but the results are consistent with a growing number of papers looking at how vitamin D might help prevent or reverse asthma and eczema. This is in addition to earlier studies suggesting that adequate vitamin D might slash the risk of some cancers and neurologic diseases. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, can be formed when the skin is exposed to sunlight or can be obtained in the diet. One recent study in kids suggested that being in the sun for just 15 minutes at a time 2 or 3 days a week, or taking a vitamin D supplement (e.g. 1000 IU/day), might decrease the odds of developing eczema and reduce eczema flare-ups in those who already have it. Other investigators even wonder if vitamin D deficiency is one of the explanations for the asthma epidemic in children in recent years. Many children get suboptimal levels of vitamin D. It’s one of the Greene 13 – the 13 vitamins and minerals I’m most concerned about kids missing the mark nutritionally. While these specific vitamin D associations are not yet proven, the connection makes sense to me. We know that vitamin D acts on both the smooth muscle cells in the airways and can help with some T cell problems in the immune system. Either way, it seems to me a good idea to make sure your young child is getting an adequate amount of vitamin D (the USDA Dietary Reference Intake is 200 IU daily throughout childhood, and I suspect that level will be raised in the next five years). This could be all the more important if your child has asthma or eczema, or either of those conditions runs in your family.
Alan Greene, MD, FAAP
And more on Vitamins and Children:
| July 10th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I have had asthma since I was a baby and after 38 years I have finally reversed my asthma by getting adequate vitamin D levels through sunshine. Supplemental vitamin D did not work. I truly believe that vitamin D deficiency is the key factor in the high prevalence of asthma in children.
| December 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I am extremely concerned that physicians and the general public become more knowledgeable re: Vitamin D. Specifically, I want to HIGHLY recommend a FANTASTIC article in The New England Journal Of Medicine, August 2007 which in GREAT detail discusses how critical D is and why there are various reasons many people are not converting it adequately. If you have darker skin, live in northern altitudes, are elderly, or have genetic issues with converting vitamin D you are likely to be very low. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT IF YOUR “BUCKET” IS EMPTY, YOU MUST TAKE A LARGE PERSCRIPTION LEVEL OF D FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO FILL UP THE BUCKET FIRST. THEN you can maintain by taking lower levels such as 1000 maybe daily.
Personally, I found I was terribly low, and had my daughter tested. We both drank milk and she was in the sun ALOT. This 7 yr old caucasian but olive skinned CHILD had very very low D!!!! Here she was at the prime time for building bone and lacked the critical element she needed! I had to beg for a blood test to start with. Now that my level is up, I cannot tell you how many benefits I have. FAR less muscular pain ( the article explains the connection between low D and myalgias), better sleep, and better mental capacities. The article states when your D is low, all your calcium and phosphorous functions will suffer! There is a CLEAR connection between psoraisis and D, and many other connections including significant reductions in cancer. This is huge, but even a Doc at Duke recently told a friend asking to be tested for low D that she wasn’t sure which test to order for it. Find you a great medical article from a journal, like I did, and take a copy of it to all your health care providers. This is a critical and CHEAP way to maintain better health. PEDIATRICANS ARE NOT GETTING THIS MESSAGE YET!
| December 22nd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I have been having trouble with exzema on my hands, but noticed that it improved significantly during a two week trip to California. (I live in British Columbia so there are lots of cloudy days and I don’t get out in the sun a lot.) After returning from my trip to California, my exzema started to flare up again so I wondered if the problem is Vit D related. I didn’t get a lot of sun in CA, nor was it super hot, but we were out in the sunshine. I will try some Vit D pills.
| January 5th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I am 24 years old and I have problem with eczema, runny noze, depression, back and shoulder chronic pain. Two weeks ago I heard on the radio from a doctor that all adult should take from 1000 UI to 2000 UI Vitamine D a day, so I decided to take it. She said it help to build bones so I really wasnt convinced it would help me in anyway, but since I work at night and I rarely go out and she really sounded like it was really important to get a minimal amount of that vitamine D in my system and that it only cost around 3-4$ a bottle when its on sale, I gave it a shot.
Well the first night after taking the vitamine D, maybe it was only psychological, but I felt alot less pain in my shoulder. Two days after that, I felt a major change in my eczema patch I have had for years, some of them for 4 or 5 years. They were still dry, but all the redness was gone, even after taking a hot bath. I could breath again through my nose and my nose stopped running 24/24h. From the start of taking the vitamine D pill 1000 UI/day to now, 2 weeks later, all my eczema patch are now gone, I can breath permanently through my nose it stopped runny all the time, my back and shoulder pain is atleast 90% gone and I also feel way better psychologicaly.
I am really impressed at everything that little vitamine D did to my health/life and decided to share it with other people. I had so mutch trouble all of my life going out in the sun because that my skin was covered almost everywhere by eczema and the right thing to do would have been to actualy go out and expose myself to the sun. It only cost me 3$ at the pharmacy for that bottle of vitamine D and for me it suite my life style mutch better and replace the sun in my opinion. I wish their were a study to look deeper into the relation between vitamine D and eczema, maybe if my parents knew that while I was younger I could have suffered alot less of that affliction and maybe I would have a mutch better life today.
| March 16th, 2009 at 6:07 am
i have suffered with asthma for over 23 years. Every winter i have taken 3 types of asthma medication 60-70% OF THE TIME. I have been taking vit D supplements for 5 months now and i have experienced the first winter using my asthma medication 10% of my normal use. i can’t believe it !!
The vit D it is the only major change in my life. I haven’t changed my where i live or what i eat or the amount of exercise that i do….I have every intention of pursuing more on this issue and determine if my daughter needs the additional vit d as well.
| April 30th, 2009 at 10:35 am
My 6 year old has been batteling eczema since she was a baby. Recently she has started taking vitamin d and within the first couple weeks you could see a huge improvment in her skin,
| May 20th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
In Jan. of 09 I was put on 50,000 IUs of Vit. D a week for 8 weeks. Until that time I suffered from allergies/asthma & pneumonia in that order. Pneumonia at least 4 times a year and lots of pain in my lower back, hips and knees, plus swelling in my legs. The fatigue was horrible. For two days after I took the first 50,000 IUs I felt fantastic, very little pain and no allergies. Then it was square one again. The second week it lasted for 3 days and it continued to add a day or two each week that I felt great. I also lost 12 lbs. Then the 8 weeks were over. And now I am back to the pain and fatigue but have only had one day of sneezing. So the allergies are much better and I have not had an asthma attack or pneumonia since Nov. of 08. I do take 6000 IUs a day since I stopped the 50,000 a week but it has not relieved the pain or the fatigue. I really want to go back to the 50,000 UIs a week but so far the Dr. says no.
| May 23rd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
FYI, I added some links to other vitamin D updates on the site at the end of the post above:
More important news on Vitamin D:
Getting Enough of the Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin Sunshine
Vitamin D and Preventing Diabetes
And more on Vitamins and Children:
Vitamins: Who Should Take Vitamins and Why?
| October 27th, 2009 at 3:06 am
OMG! I have had chronic hand eczema for the last 8 years - with very sudden onset. I have tried all sorts of remedies including PUVA treatment - to no avail and was highly reticent about going on further medications. Last year my herbalist suggested I get tested for a range of vitamin deficiencies and I was found to have a Vitamin D deficiency. I did not, at the time, correlate this deficiency with my eczema but in reflection I realise I did have a spell last year (joyous!) when my hands were so much better. I will now return to the GP to have my Vitamin D levels re-tested THANKS!
Fingers crossed it is largely related to Vitamin D as I’m fed up with always being itchy and in constant pain - It is soooooooo debilitating!
I will keep you posted - any other helpful hints appreciated