Contents:
- Benefits of vitamin D as an asthma medication to prevent asthma relapse
- Where do you get vitamin D intake?
According to WHO, more than 235 million people in the world have asthma. Asthma symptoms often recur and appear suddenly.Until now, most asthma medications only relieve symptoms and help control symptoms. However, there are drug supplements that can help you toreduce the risk of asthma attacks, namely vitamin D. Many studies have shown that the benefits of vitamin D not only maintain bone strength, but also can prevent asthma from recurring.
Benefits of vitamin D as an asthma medication to prevent asthma relapse
Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that is responsible for maintaining overall immune system. Sufficient vitamin D intake every day canimprove the immune system response to viruses that trigger asthma attacks, while reducing a dangerous inflammatory response.
A study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine proving that taking vitamin D supplements in addition to asthma medications can reduce the risk of asthma attacks by 50 percent. The study included 955 people who had moderate asthma and needed steroids for their asthma medication.
After routinely taking vitamin D supplements, researchers report that the frequency of participants to go to hospital and hospitalization due to recurrence of severe asthma attacks is now significantly reduced. In addition, taking vitamin D supplements also reduces steroid use as a treatment for asthma. Giving steroids is usually used to prevent asthma, not to relieve symptoms when an attack is happening. The study also reported that there were no side effects from vitamin D supplements.
However, further research is needed if this vitamin D supplement can have the same effect on people who have asthma, who have not needed steroid therapy to control their asthma. Also, it is still unknown whether vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of acute asthma attacks in all patients or only in patients who are deficient in vitamin D.
Where do you get vitamin D intake?
Vitamin D can be found in various things. However, 80% of the vitamin D needed by the body comes from sunlight. Your body will produce vitamin D automatically when exposed to sunlight.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), you only need to be exposed to sunlight for at least 5 to 15 minutes in your arms, hands and face, at least two to three times a week without using sunscreen. For the territory of Indonesia, the recommended sunbathing time is from 10am to 2pm.
Besides sunlight, you can also get vitamin D intake from the food you consume everyday. Some foods that are known to contain high vitamin D are cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, sardines, egg yolks, beef liver, milk, button mushrooms, and so on.
In addition to the various foods and drinks mentioned above, you can also get this vitamin intake from supplements. For some people, vitamin D supplements may help to provide enough of the vitamins needed by the body. Do not forget, before taking supplements, consult your doctor first to get instructions regarding the consumption of these supplements correctly.
