Vitamin D3Improves Steroid Therapy

Researchers have found that taking vitamin D₃ supplements mayenhance the response to steroid treatments among patients with asthmawho normally do not have a positive response from steroid therapy.Whereas inhaled steroids work for a majority of patients with asthma,other patients benefit only from steroid tablets.

The study results, published on-line in the Journal of ClinicalInvestigation (December 8, 2005), showed that vitamin D₃improves theresponsiveness of immune system T cells to steroids. The supplementdoes so by inducing T cells to generate interleukin-10, a molecule thatslows down the immune response that causes asthma and allergy symptoms.The researchers noted that the benefits of vitamin D³ supplementsin asthma patients need further investigation.