Inhaling vitamin D supplements instead of taking oral tablets could improve lung function and reduce flare-ups for people living with chronic lung diseases, the COPD Foundation said Thursday.
More than 35 million Americans suffer from lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis and asthma, according to the American Lung Association.
Low levels of the immune-strengthening vitamin can raise risk for infections, worsen lung function and lead to flare-ups. That’s why past studies have pointed to supplements, which many Americans take but are not federally approved, for treatment.
Still, recent research shows simply raising levels of vitamin D isn’t enough to impact lung health, the COPD Foundation says.
The problem? Vitamin D is inactivated before it reaches airway tissue.
When taken by the mouth, it goes to the liver and is processed before spreading throughout the bloodstream. En route to the lungs is when researchers believe it hits a snag.
“Oral vitamin D is potentially inactivated by an enzyme in the lung’s blood vessels, preventing it from reaching the airways,” Kevin Schichlein, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said in a statement.
“We think direct delivery to the lungs could be a more effective option,” he said.
Animal studies have found that inhaled vitamin D can protect against dust, pollution and pathogens.
These methods should be explored in human clinical trials, Schichlein and his colleagues said, to determine if it will work and how much could be safe to take.
“Topical or inhaled delivery of vitamin D is already being explored for upper airway diseases with data from preclinical models and some preliminary clinical trials showing promising results,” Ilona Jaspers, a professor in pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine, said previously.
“Moving to the lower airways could be a logical extension of these observations,” she added.
Delivering vitamin D directly to the lungs could possibly help to reduce inflammation, too.
While inflammation is the body’s normal response to protect itself from invading viruses and bacteria, many major lung conditions are driven by harmful inflammation.
Inflammation can trigger genetic mutations, damage lung tissue and block your flow of air.
