Low Vitamin D Levels and Severe Asthma

Article by BudwigDVDs.com

Dr. Budwig's healing protocol was very well known for its ability to prevent and reverse asthma. A key thing that Dr. Budwig required was that patients take a certain amount of direct sun every day. Vitamin D is often known as the sunshine vitamin because sunlight stimulates our own ntaural Vitamin D production. Vitamin D is a hot topic in modern nutritional science for its wide range of benefits, but scientists are now linking low levels of Vitamin D to increased severity in asthma patients.

Dr. E. Rand Sutherland is the lead researcher at the pulmonary and critical care division of National Jewish Health in Denver Co. According to Dr. Sutherland, low levels of Vitamin D are associated with more severe asthma, and also relates to how well a patient is going to respond to medication. He thinks that Vitamin D may act as an immune system modifier in a way that relates to asthma.

In a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Sutherland and his team measured the Vitamin D levels of 54 asthma patients. They also assessed each patient's level of airway constriction, their overall lung function, and their response to steroidal asthma medication. Patients with less than 30 nanograms per milliliter of Vitamin D in their blood had double the airway constriction when compared to the group with higher Vitamin D levels. Low levels may also be linked to increased bronchial inflammation.

According to Dr. Michael F. Holick, the director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at the Boston University School of Medicine, the steroidal medications used to treat asthma also increase the destruction of Vitamin D, leading to a viscous cycle of increased asthma. He says it's pretty clear that a minimum of 1,400-2,000 IU per day is necessary, and that figure can even double if you are obese. According to Dr. Holick, it is recognized that even 10,000 IU per day does not pose a toxicity risk.

The government has traditionally recommended just 200 IU of Vitamin D per day. But according to The Vitamin D Council, the skin can make about 10,000 IU of Vitamin D just in response to 20-30 minutes of summer sun! So it’s pretty clear that this traditional recommendation is unfounded and can even be detrimental to human health.

Dr. Budwig's protocol was known to be very effective for asthma. Looking at the modern research, the mechanisms by which her protocol work are becoming clear. Not only does she require you to take sunlight creating more Vitamin D, she also uses her unique preparation of the Omega 3 fatty acids in Flax Oil, which has been shown to also decrease the inflammatory processes related to asthma. There are other, more complex mechanisms that Dr. Budwig describes in depth in her publications. These are quite extensive and will be covered in another article.

As researchers learn more about the human body, modern medicine is progressively changing its philosophy. Promoting the proper function of human biology is proving to be more effective than just fighting the disease alone. This functional approach is also much safer with little or no side effects. Researchers like Dr. Budwig were pioneers in this field and their great work serves to benefit our health. We must learn from them and take charge of our own health and well-being.

You can now learn Dr. Budwig's entire healing protocol on DVD.

Order it online at: www.BudwigDVDs.com

References

1. E. Rand Sutherland, et al. Vitamin D Levels, Lung Function, and Steroid Response in Adult Asthma.Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Apr 2010; 181: 699-704

2. Okamoto M, et al. Effects of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids compared with n-6 fatty acids on bronchial asthma. Intern Med. 2000 Feb;39(2):107-11.

3. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

4. http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/635427.html

Disclaimer:These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are based on the work and research of Dr. Johanna Budwig Ph.D.

Always consult your physician before starting any dietary regimen, or any other form of therapy.