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One of the most frequent chronic diseases, asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder. More frequent during childhood, asthma can appear at any age, and the prevalence of the disease is increasing in the present.

Besides the allopathic treatments, specialists have always wanted to know if there is a correlation between diet, vitamin supplementation and the asthma symptoms.

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A recent study made by Italian doctors researched the correlation between vitamin D level and asthma exacerbated symptoms

Till now, the results of similar studies were inconclusive to give a clear verdict, partially because of the dosage or the time needed for vitamin D supplementation.

This time, the aim of the present study (which you can find here) was to evaluate the long term vitamin D supplementation benefits, in asthmatic patients, which were evaluated as deficient in vitamin D.

The subjects of the study were evaluated, and those with vitamin D deficiency were evaluated again after 1 year of vitamin D supplementation.

On asthmatic patients, vitamin D deficiency can trigger exacerbated symptoms and negatively affects the good management of this disease. Long term vitamin D supplementation can solve this issue

Among the study’s subjects, 111 presented a low vitamin D level, which was not correlated with the severity of asthma. Yet, 90 patients were deficient, and from these, 55 received vitamin D supplements for one year. Other 24 subjects left the study.

After 12 months of vitamin D supplementation, patients presented an important decreasing of symptoms, a lower need of oral inhaled corticosteroids, and also an improved airway obstruction.

Therefore, the specialists’ conclusion in this particular study was clear: the exacerbated asthma symptoms are triggered and associated with vitamin D deficiency, but this issue can be easily resolved with long term vitamin D supplementation.

The recommended level of vitamin D and the dose prescribed during this study

It seems the doctors wanted to reach a level of 30 ng/mL at 25-OHD test. For this, the deficient patients received a daily dose of 1500-2000 IU vitamin D.

It’s important to mention that this Italian study did not receive any grant from agencies – public, commercial or from not-for-profit sectors.

This study's results do not replace medical advice and treatment and vitamin D supplementation has to be done only after consulting your doctor.

Natural sources of vitamin D – what should you eat to have a rich vitamin D diet?

A diet rich in vitamin D cannot harm, no matter the situation. Therefore, diagnosed or not with asthma, deficient or not in vitamin D, make sure you have a healthy, varied diet, in which you regularly introduce vitamin D rich foods like: egg yolk, mushrooms, fatty fish, cod liver oil, carrots, papaya, meat, cheese, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots, peaches, melon or avocado.

Yet, the most important here are the vitamin D supplements. From my experience among the best are Thorne and Now vitamin D. I most often buy them from Iherb.

My experience with vitamin D

Being diagnosed with endometriosis, but also with asthma (it’s true, minimal symptoms, with 1-2 crisis every 2-3 years), I can say that, indeed, vitamin D supplementation is very important for both these illnesses.

Yet, the dose and the safety measures for each patient have to be established by a specialist so consult your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements.

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