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Written By: Admin | Published : May 20, 2013 12:24 PM IST
Scientists believe that the sun may be a potent weapon against asthma. A research showed that low levels of Vitamin D are responsible for the worsening of symptoms. Its latest research shows that the vitamin calms an overactive part of the immune system in asthma. However, treatment of patients with vitamin D has not yet been tested. Prof Catherine Hawrylowicz and her group researched the impact that vitamin D has on a chemical in the body, interleukin-17 - a vital part of the immune system, which helps to ward off infections.
But the chemical can cause problems when levels are too high, which has been strongly implicated in asthma. In the study, levels of interleukin-17 were brought down by vitamin D when it was added to blood samples taken from 28 patients.
The clinical trials are now being conducted by the researchers to see if soaking up the sun can ease the symptoms of the patient. The study has been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a breathing disorder and a chronic disease of the airways which makes breathing difficult. There is inflammation of the air passages that result in their temporary narrowing leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. Asthma can be broadly categorised into two categories Specific and non-specific. Specific asthma is caused by breathing in allergens or irritants while non-specific asthma is caused by exercise, weather or genetic predisposition.
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