How Vitamin D can Benefit Men's Health

How can we get American men interested in vitamin D? Most men could care less. Say vitamin D did something men find really important, like improve athletic performance or induce hair growth? Or, say it improved sexual performance or increased virility? Nothing would get men treating their vitamin D deficiency like a study that showed vitamin D increased organ size!

Sixteen years ago, Professor Walter Stumpf (who taught me at UNC School of Medicine) first made the case that vitamin D is intimately involved with sex and reproduction. Male genital tissue contains lots of vitamin D receptors but their significance and function remain unknown. One researcher actually gave a vitamin D-like-drug to see if it improved sexual performance in patients with renal failure! To bad for the instant popularity of vitamin D, the results showed no improvement.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Nov;161(5):1375-84
Clin Nephrol. 1980 May;13(5):208-14

Vitamin D does appear to improve virility. Conception peaks in the summer, when vitamin D levels are highest, and ebbs in the winter, when vitamin D stores are low. Vitamin D deficiency has profound effects on rat testicles, including dramatically reducing spermatogenesis. Vitamin D deficient male rats were 73% less likely to successfully father pups than vitamin D sufficient males. Vitamin D restored virility to vitamin D deficient male rats and should do the same for vitamin D deficient male humans.
Hum Reprod. 1992 Jul;7(6):735-45
Ann Nutr Metab. 1992;36(4):203-8
Ann Nutr Metab. 1995;39(2):95-8
J Nutr. 1989 May;119(5):741-4

What else are men interested in besides sex? Hair growth! In fact, hair follicles have large numbers of vitamin D receptors but their function is unknown. Although there are no human studies showing vitamin D will grow men a new head of hair, vitamin D like drugs do grow hair in mice. (By the way, both my wife and my barber have told me my head has stopped balding and I've kept my 25(OH)-vitamin D level around 50 ng/ml for several years.) One relevant animal study should get the attention of men; the title contains two of their favorite words: "nude" and "hair growth."
Endocrinology. 2002 Nov;143(11):4389-96


What about weight? Can you see the headlines in the men's' fitness magazines: "Vitamin D Reduces Weight." Although dozens of studies have found that those with the highest 25(OH)-vitamin D blood levels weigh the least, most vitamin D scientists explain this by pointing out that vitamin D is stored in fat tissue, thus lowering blood levels. Of course that does not preclude vitamin D from also having either a direct or indirect effect on weight.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jan;88(1):157-61
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Mar;89(3):1196-9
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Feb;90(2):635-40
Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Sep;72(3):690-3

One study tried to answer that question by looking directly at vitamin D intake and body weight. The authors found an inverse correlation. That is, the more vitamin D in your diet, the less you weighed! If you have a few minutes, test your knowledge by taking our quiz on obesity and vitamin D.
J Nutr. 2003 Jan;133(1):102-6
Obesity and Vitamin D Quiz.

Finally, we turn to athletic performance. After sex, hair growth, and obesity, improving athletic performance would certainly make American men pay attention to vitamin D. Actually, what we are asking is: "Does the most potent steroid hormone system in the human body have any effects on balance, muscle strength, muscle mass, reaction time, etc?" When asked that way, it would be surprising if it had none. In fact, dozens of studies suggest vitamin D will improve athletic performance.

If vitamin D improves athletic performance, then we'd predict physical fitness should peak in the late summer when 25(OH)-vitamin D levels peak. The only two studies that looked at season of the year and athletic performance of trained athletes found physical fitness peaked exactly then.
Acta Physiol Pol. 1981 Nov-Dec;32(6):629-36
Rom J Physiol. 2000 Jan-Dec;37(1-4):51-8

Genetic ablation of vitamin D receptors caused profound impairment in the motor functions of mice. Furthermore, mice without the vitamin D receptor gene showed increased anxiety; performance anxiety is something all men want to avoid. Babies born to vitamin D deficient rats are permanently and irreversibly brain damaged, proving that vitamin D has profound effects on developing neural tissue. (We will have more on this important, and tragic, research coming out of Australia in a future newsletter.)
Brain Res Bull. 2004 Jul 30;64(1):25-9

Muscle strength is important to athletes and it correlated with 25(OH)-vitamin D levels in older men. A vitamin D like drug improved muscle strength in vitamin D deficient older women. In fact, it did the same thing to a group of vitamin D deficient younger women. Furthermore, improved lower extremity function was directly associated with higher 25(OH)-vitamin D levels.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1999 Jan;80(1):54-8

Athletes need to be quick. A single injection of 600,000-units of vitamin D significantly improved reaction times in older adults. Furthermore, higher 25(OH)-vitamin D levels were also independently associated with better reaction time and better performance time.
Age Ageing. 2004 Nov;33(6):589-95

Athletes need good balance. The beneficial effect vitamin D has on balance (reduced falls) is not limited to profoundly vitamin D deficient populations; a vitamin D-like-drug improved balance in the general elder population, even those with "normal" 25(OH)-vitamin D levels. A more recent study showed higher 25(OH)-vitamin D levels correlated with better gait speed, balance and muscle strength.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004 May;89-90(1-5):497-501.

Vitamin D also appears to maintain muscle mass in older people but, no one has reported similar studies of young adults. A recent review concluded that vitamin D is an authentic strength preserving hormone, at least in the elderly. There is no reason to think it has any less effect on vitamin D deficient younger persons.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec;88(12):5766-72

Finally, debilitating chronic pain sidelines many athletes. One Mayo clinic study found that virtually all patients treated for chronic pain have low 25(OH)-vitamin D levels. Furthermore, in what must be one of the largest open studies ever reported, 360 patients with low back pain in Saudi Arabia responded exceptionally well to treatment with physiological doses of vitamin D. Like virtually all areas of vitamin D research, we are still awaiting definitive research.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Dec;78(12):1463-70

An impressive scientific literature suggests that vitamin D may improve athletic performance. This should surprise no one as other steroid hormone systems improve athletic performance. One difference is that the U.S. government is going to find it hard to regulate the vitamin D steroid hormone system; the sun is both a free and robust source of vitamin D. Of course, oral vitamin D is toxic in overdose and vitamin D toxicity would greatly impair athletic performance. Smart athletes would get enough sun, or take enough cholecalciferol, to keep their 25(OH)-vitamin D levels around 50 ng/ml, year around. But then, smart non-athletes would do the same.

What would happen if researchers gave physiological doses of cholecalciferol to men for a year or two and studied their sex life, hair growth, weight and athletic performance? Would vitamin D improve men's sex life? Would it make them more virile? Would they stop going bald? Would they lose weight? Would they become better athletes?

We don't know. However, a rapidly expanding scientific literature indicates vitamin D lowers their risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune illness, depression and seventeen different types of cancer. It now appears likely that vitamin D has an important role in treating those killer diseases as well.

But that doesn't really interest most American men. Men want to know about the important stuff. Why not start taking 2,000 units of cholecalciferol every day and see if your sex life improves, your hair grows back, you lose weight, and you become a better athlete? (And, don't forget to measure down there; after all, you never know).

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How Beneficial Are Multivitamins? We Don't Know

You see multivitamins for sale in supermarkets, health shops, pharmacies, general grocery stores and health clubs. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide take them regularly, without fail. But, what good do they do us? We simply don't know.

According to a US panel of experts from the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the Office of Dietary Supplements, there is scant information on the benefits and safety of multivitamins.

Multivitamins, in the USA alone, bring in revenues of over $20 billion a year for those who sell them. Half of all American adults take multivitamins.

The panel looked at two days of expert presentations and public discussions. It concluded that more rigorous scientific research is needed on multivitamins use to prevent chronic diseases.

NIH Panel Chairman, Dr. M McGinnis, said the science base is especially thin with respect to the health impact of multivitamins. He said that insufficient available data makes it impossible for the panel to make a firm recommendation for or against the use of multivitamins. He said what little data there is, is not in-depth enough.

The theory goes that if you eat badly, multivitamins can compensate. But we just don't know whether this really happens. Some studies have indicated that the people who take multivitamins the most are also the most health-conscious ones. People who eat well and do exercise consume much larger quantities of multivitamins than those who eat badly and exercise the least.

Several studies have shown, though, that if you eat your fruit and vegetables regularly, you will be consuming the right amounts of vitamins needed for good health.

The panel did manage to make the following recommendations:

-- The combined use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation helps protect postmenopausal women's bone health.

-- Anti-oxidants and zinc should be considered for use by non-smoking adults with early-stage, age-related macular degeneration.

-- Women of childbearing age should take daily foliate to prevent neural tube defects in infants.

-- There is evidence that smokers should avoid taking beta carotene supplements regularly as there is a raised risk of lung cancer.

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Vitamin D Doesn't Help Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by diseases such as Bronchitis and Emphysema, where breathing becomes more difficult as the airways are inflamed, blocked with mucus and ultimately permanently damaged. The problem is usually caused by cigarette smoking, although exposure to industrial chemicals, pollutants or smoke inhalation may also be involved.

It was thought that vitamin D might be effective in helping to ease the condition, because most patients with COPD have vitamin D deficiency, but new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests otherwise.

The study was carried out by scientists at The University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and funded by Applied Biomedical Research Program, Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology. Wim Janssens, MD, PhD, of University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues gave test subjects monthly doses of 100,000 IU or more than 3,200 IU per day, where the standard recommended dose is only 600 IU daily to 800 IU daily for lactating women and the elderly. However no marked change or improvement was seen in the patients' symptoms.

In total, 182 patients were part of the trial and all had moderate to severe COPD and recent history of exacerbations. The primary outcome was time to first exacerbation. Secondary outcomes were exacerbation rate, time to first hospitalization, time to second exacerbation, quality of life, and death.

Patients' vitamin D level was measured by blood test throughout the trial, and patients were given either 100,000UI of vitamin D per month for a year, or a placebo. The researchers then recorded whether patients had exacerbations of COPD during the study.

Although patients receiving the supplements of vitamin D showed increased levels in their blood, the number of exacerbations over the course of the year was no different to those on the placebo. Researchers did note that a small group of patients that started the trial with extremely low vitamin D levels may have showed some improvement, but results were inconclusive.

They recommended a further research to investigate whether patients with very low vitamin D levels may benefit from supplements, but so far it appears in general that most patients won't benefit greatly, if at all, and certainly Vitamin D supplements are not an effective way to prevent exacerbation of COPD.

Dr. Wim Janssens, from the respiratory division at University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, the lead investigator said :

"There are studies showing that patients with vitamin D deficiency are more susceptible to different inflammatory, infectious and autoimmune diseases, and most likely COPD ... [however] ... Vitamin D restoration to normal levels in COPD patients does not reduce the number of exacerbations, does not reduce the infections and inflammation."

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Link Between Successful Weight Loss And Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results, which suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss, were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

"Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, but it is not clear if inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around," said the study's lead author, Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota.

In this study, the authors attempted to determine whether baseline vitamin D levels before calorie restriction affect subsequent weight loss. They measured circulating blood levels of vitamin D in 38 overweight men and women before and after the subjects followed a diet plan for 11 weeks consisting of 750 calories a day fewer than their estimated total needs. Subjects also had their fat distribution measured with DXA (bone densitometry) scans.

On average, subjects had vitamin D levels that many experts would consider to be in the insufficient range, according to Sibley. However, the authors found that baseline, or pre-diet, vitamin D levels predicted weight loss in a linear relationship. For every increase of 1 ng/mL in level of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol - the precursor form of vitamin D and a commonly used indicator of vitamin D status - subjects ended up losing almost a half pound (0.196 kg) more on their calorie-restricted diet. For each 1-ng/mL increase in the active or "hormonal" form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), subjects lost nearly one-quarter pound (0.107 kg) more.

Additionally, higher baseline vitamin D levels (both the precursor and active forms) predicted greater loss of abdominal fat.

"Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss," Sibley said.

She cautioned, however, that more research is needed. "Our findings," she said, "need to be followed up by the right kind of controlled clinical trial to determine if there is a role for vitamin D supplementation in helping people lose weight when they attempt to cut back on what they eat."

The National Institutes of Health, the University of Minnesota, and the Pennock Family Endowment at the University of Minnesota funded this study.

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What Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency? What Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Vitamin B12 is crucial for the proper formation of red blood cells, as well as the health of nerve tissue. Vitamin B12 deficiency, or B12 deficiency, if left untreated can result in anemia, as well as irreversible nerve and brain damage.

A lack of vitamin B12 in the blood can lead to a blood disorder called pernicious anemia. Those with the disorder are unable to produce enough of a protein substance - IF (intrinsic factor) - in their stomach that allows their body to absorb vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is injected straight into the patient's blood, therefore bypassing the stomach which is unable to absorb it properly.

Apart from creating red blood cells and keeping our nervous system healthy, we also need vitamin B12 in order to be able to absorb folic acid. Vitamin B12 also helps to release energy.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Vitamin B12 is a "generic descriptor for compounds exhibiting the biologic activity of cyanocobalamin; the antianemia factor of liver extract that contains cobalt, a cyano group, and corrin in a cobamide structure. Several substances with similar formulas and with the characteristic hematinic action have been isolated and designated: B12a, hydroxocobalamin; B12b, aquacobalamin; B12c, nitritocobalamin; B12r, cob(II)alamin; B12s, cob(I)alamin; B12III, factors A and V1a (cobyric acid) and pseudovitamin B12. Vitamins B12a and B12b are known to be tautomeric compounds; B12b has been obtained from cultures of Streptomyces aureofaciens; B12c has been obtained from cultures of Streptomyces griseus and is distinguishable from B12 by differences in its absorption spectrum. The physiologically active vitamin B12 coenzymes are methylcobalamin and deoxyadenosinecobalamin. A deficiency of vitamin B12 is often associated with certain methylmalonic acidurias."

What are the signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.

Vitamin deficiencies tend to develop gradually and slowly; sometimes over a period of several years. At first, signs and symptoms may be subtle - but as time goes by they become more noticeable.

Our cells need vitamin B12 in order to multiply properly. We produce millions of red blood cells every minute. A vitamin B12 deficiency affects the production of red blood cells. Subsequently, the red blood cell count drops and the patient develops anemia. The most common symptoms of anemia are:

• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Panting (shortness of breath)
• Palpitations (disagreeable sensations of irregular and/or heavy beating of the heart)

B12 deficiency anemia may also be caused by a lack of intrinsic factor - pernicious anemia. The patient's digestive system cannot absorb B12 properly. Signs and symptoms of pernicious anemia may include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations

Anemia may also have the following signs and symptoms:

• A sore mouth and/or tongue
• Weight loss
• Pale or yellowish skin
• Diarrhea (sporadic)
• Menstrual problems
• Higher susceptibility to infections

If the deficiency continues untreated the patient may have the following neurological signs and symptoms:

• Tingling or numbness of the fingers
• Tingling or numbness of the toes
• General muscle weakness
• Difficulty walking properly (staggering)
• Irritability
• Confusion
• Forgetfulness
• Tender calves

What are the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency?

• Causes of pernicious anemia - pernicious anemia is caused by an autoimmune disease; the person's own immune system attacks good parts of the body, as if they were bacteria or viruses.
  
  The immune system of patients with pernicious anemia creates antibodies which attack the lining of the stomach, damaging cells that produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is a substance that is secreted by the gastric mucous membrane (lining of the stomach) and is vital for the absorption of vitamin B12 in the intestines. If the production of intrinsic factor is undermined, vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed into the body properly.


• Bowel problem - patients with Crohn's disease, as well as people who have had their bowels surgically shortened, may have problems absorbing vitamin B12 into their bloodstream. Short bowel syndrome is a term used for people who have had their bowel shortened (half or more of their small intestine removed). Patients with short bowel syndrome typically experience diarrhea, cramping and heartburn. It is not uncommon for individuals to become malnourished because what is left of the small intestine cannot absorb adequate quantities of vitamins, water and other nutrients.


• Vegan diet - some people who follow a vegan diet may suffer from B12 deficiency if they do not eat fortified foods, or some types of yeast.

How is B12 deficiency diagnosed?

A GP (general practitioner, primary care physician) will interview the patient and carry out a physical examination, looking out for such signs as an accelerated pulse and pale/yellowish skin.

• Blood test - to determine whether the red blood cell count is low. The appearance of the red blood cells is also checked, because they may have an unusual shape. A blood test can also determine what the level of B12 is.
  
  The GP may also want to check the patient's blood intrinsic factor antibody levels, in order to determine whether the person has pernicious anemia.


• Bone marrow biopsy - the aim here is to rule out other possible causes of red cell abnormalities or anemia.

What are the treatment options for B12 deficiency?

Hydroxocobalamin injections - this is a form of B12. It is injected into a muscle every two to four days. After about six injections the patient should have a good store of B12.

In the majority of cases the patient will notice significant improvements in symptoms soon after receiving injections.

Annual blood tests are common, to monitor the success of treatment.

Most patients require booster injections of B12 every three months for the rest of their lives.

Prevention of B12 deficiency

• Vegans and some vegetarians - vegetarians who do not eat eggs, as well as vegans should make sure their B12 intake is adequate. There are various breakfast cereals which are fortified with vitamin B12. Some brands of nutritional yeast are also good sources of B12. Some types of soy milk are fortified with B12.


• People who eat meat and/or fish - a balanced diet containing fish, meat and dairy foods should have enough B12 for human requirements.

There is no way to prevent pernicious anemia caused by an autoimmune condition.

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Vitamin D for swine flu protection

Vitamin D for swine flu protection is a new area that the sunshine vitamin can make you healthier. Since the American Cancer Society increased its campaign against sunshine, more and more people opt for heavy sun blocks or avoid the sun entirely. While too much exposure to the sun at one time can cause burning and lead to eventual changes in the skin, no exposure leads you to vitamin D deficiency. Simply being in the sun for a minimum of 15 minutes each day can give you the vitamin D your body requires.

Vitamin D is in limited amounts in foods. Unless you drink fortified organic milk, suck down cod liver oil like there's no tomorrow, take supplements or eat foods fortified with vitamin D you'll probably be short on the nutrient. Even people exposed to the sun daily often don't get an adequate supply if they live in the Northern areas where winters are long and there's insufficient sunshine for your skin to produce vitamin D. Scientists now discover that with the use of sun blocks, more Americans than ever have a shortage of vitamin D even in the summer months.

These facts are important in the light of the discovery that vitamin D not only helps build and maintain strong bones, it also protects you from complications of influenza. In a recent study of 19,000 people, those that had the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent chance of having a respiratory infection. A.A. Ginde, J.M. Mansbach, C.A. Camargo Jr., published the results of their study in the "Archives of Internal Medicine." The results also indicated the use of vitamin D as an immune booster people with lung problems such as asthma or COPD. From the early indications, it may prevent complications caused from swine flu or other respiratory viruses.

The concept of vitamin D to prevent complications or the flu itself isn't new. A study done on lab mice in the 1940's indicated that mice low in vitamin D had a better chance of developing influenza than those with adequate vitamin D levels. The Public Health Agency of Canada, collaborated last year with McMaster University and hospitals and universities across Canada to conduct a three-year study on blood serum levels of vitamin D and swine flu victims. They hope to discover the whether there is a true correlation in humans between the body's level of vitamin D and their resistance to the swine flu or complications.

If a positive correlation exists, then the Public Health Agency of Canada would recommend the addition of supplemental vitamin D, for not only the "at risk" population, but also anyone that wishes to avoid the flu. For those people who believe the influenza vaccination might be just as dangerous to them as the illness, the extra dose of vitamin D might be an acceptable alternative, in addition to the immune boosting vitamin C they may already be taking. A good book to read on the subject is "Vitamin D Prescription" by Eric Madrid MD. He goes into great detail about Preventing Swine Flu. Reduce Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Fibromyalgia & more by 50%

So when flu season approaches, take a sunbath, drink fortified organic milk, take a spoonful of cod liver oil and maybe throw in a few vitamin D supplements. Even though the research isn't final, there's enough evidence to support that vitamin D for swine flu protection might help you and the worst possible reaction you'll have is stronger bones.

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Vitamin E in Pregnancy May Affect Kids' Asthma

Too Little Vitamin E During Pregnancy Raises Child's Later Asthma Risk

Young children have a higher risk of asthma if their mothers got too little vitamin E during pregnancy, a U.K. study finds.

University of Aberdeen researcher Graham Devereux, MD, PhD, and colleagues have been following 2,000 women since early pregnancy. When their children were 2 years old, the researchers found the kids were more likely to wheeze if, during pregnancy, their mothers' diets were low in vitamin E.

Now the children are 5 years old. And Devereux and colleagues find that children of the low-vitamin-E mothers are more likely to have asthma.

"The results of the present study suggest that dietary modification or supplementation during pregnancy to reduce the likelihood of childhood asthma warrants further investigation," Devereux said in a news release.
Interestingly, the children's own diet at age 5 did not affect their asthma risk.

Foods rich in vitamin E include margarine, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, vegetable oil, wheat germ, whole grains, and fortified cereals.

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Vitamin D May Improve Asthma Control

Study Links Vitamin D Deficiency and Asthma Severity

Vitamin D is the new "it" vitamin. A number of studies link its deficiency to a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Now, a new review article makes the case for vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of asthma. The findings appear in the September issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
 
Researchers reviewed nearly 60 years' worth of literature on vitamin D status and asthma. They found that vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased airway reactivity, lower lung functions, and worse asthma control. Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include obesity, being African-American,  and living in Westernized countries, the researchers report. These are also populations known to be at higher risk for developing asthma.

Vitamin D supplementation may improve asthma control by blocking the cascade of inflammation-causing proteins in the lung, as well as increasing production of the protein interleukin-10, which has anti-inflammatory effects, the study authors suggest.

Vitamin D is often called "the sunshine vitamin" because our bodies make it when we are exposed to sunlight. Food sources include fish, eggs, and dairy products. It is also added to multivitamins and milk.
"The biggest issue is whether or not vitamin deficiency can be related to a worsening of asthma, and all the studies have been single-point in time studies, and the concern is that depending on where you live, you can be vitamin D-deficient in the winter, but not in the summer," says Thomas B. Casale, MD, a professor of medicine and the chair of allergy and immunology at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. "We know that asthma gets worse in winter, when vitamin D is down," he says.

More Research Warranted

The next step is long-term trials that look at the effects of vitamin D supplementation in people with asthma, the study authors say.

"If we give supplemental vitamin D and measure asthma outcomes over a year, do you get better and that is the key," he says. "There is a lot of circumstantial evidence, but we need to do definitive studies with vitamin D interventions to see what happens."

Michael Holick, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine and the director of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory there, thinks the jury is in regarding the role that vitamin D supplementation can and should play in treating and preventing asthma.

"This article provides strong evidence that vitamin D is altering the immune system and preventing asthma at a biochemical level," he says.

"Winter is coming on and flu season is coming on, and that is all the more reason for parents to increase vitamin D in their children," he says. "Recent studies suggest that it will reduce risk of wheezing disorders, including asthma," he says.

The Institute of Medicine is considering whether to raise its guidelines for vitamin D intake. The current guidelines call for 200 IU/day.

Low Vitamin D Linked to Worse Asthma, More Steroids

"Vitamin D ... has effects on many immune cells and we are learning more and more about the impact that it can have on allergic diseases such as asthma," says Pia Hauk, MD, an assistant professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health in Denver.

"If you have low vitamin D levels, your asthma may be worse and you may have to take more medication to control it," she says. But "new research suggests that if we normalize vitamin D levels, you may need less medication to get control of the inflammation."

This is important to many parents, she says.

"Many parents are very concerned about side effects of inhaled steroids and would be very happy to get away with less medication," she says.

Hauk routinely tests vitamin D levels in her patients. "If it is low, I will put them on a supplement and check the levels again after three months," she tells WebMD. "The next step is to conduct a study where people with asthma who have low levels of vitamin D are treated with supplements, and then study their lung function, steroid use, and asthma exacerbations once their vitamin D levels are normal," she says.
These studies will provide definitive answers on the role that this vitamin has in asthma treatment, she says.

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