New Study Confirms Vitamin D Benefits For Seasonal Allergy Sufferers

New Study Confirms Vitamin D Benefits For Seasonal Allergy
Sufferers by RA Butters

Exposure to allergens and irritants can trigger the immune system to produce
chemicals called cytokines, which cause inflammatory allergy symptoms like
sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. D vitamin, which has substantial
anti-inflammatory properties, helps regulate the production of these chemicals.

The study is slated to continue with clinical trials in Pittsburgh and other cities, in
which inner city children will be given supplemental vitamin D. The Pittsburgh
researchers said that as yet no therapeutic dosage has been established, and noted
that age is only one of several factors that could influence the amount of
supplementation needed.

The Pittsburgh study is the latest of many to confirm the connection between D
vitamin deficiency and allergies, asthma, and related conditions. A 2008 Harvard
Medical School study that included more than 600 asthmatic children concluded that
low levels of the vitamin were definitely tied to the frequency and severity of asthma
attacks. The Harvard study also showed that children who were deficient in vitamin D
were many times more likely to have allergies.

Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a serious health problem all over the
world. In 2004 the US Federal Government's National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey indicated that only 23% of adults and teens in the US had
sufficient blood levels of the vitamin, which is crucial to many aspects of health
including bone strength, heart health, and immune function. The deficiency was most
pronounced in the African American population, only three percent of whom had
adequate blood levels of the vitamin.

In 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics literally doubled the amount
recommended for children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day, starting with the first day
of life. Studies by The Center for Global Child Health, headquartered at at Cincinnati
Children's Hospital Medical Center, indicate that more than half of all infants are born
with a D vitamin deficiency, and more than a third of all mothers are deficient in the
vitamin when they give birth.

Vitamin D in known as the sunshine vitamin because even relatively brief exposure to
sun triggers the body to manufacture its own supply. It is found naturally in relatively
few foods (primarily oily fish and egg yolks) but a number of food products including
milk and other dairy products are fortified with the vitamin.

About The Author

RA Butters

A growing body of research is proving that the sunshine vitamin is crucial to many
aspects of mental as well as physical health. Find out more about the link between
at .

Are there vitamin D benefits for
seasonal allergy sufferers? New
preliminary studies by Pittsburgh's
Allegheny General Hospital say the
answer is yes.

The study, which monitored inner city
children between six and 12 years of
age, indicated that those who
experienced allergy and asthma
symptoms also had low levels of
vitamin D. The key allergy-related
benefits of the vitamin are in the way
it effects the immune system, the
researchers said.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.