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Does vitamin D benefit eczema?
A new study reports that oral supplementation of vitamin D may increase the production of protective compounds in the skin, and may even help prevent skin infections. This small study looked at people with atopic dermatitis (eczema), a chronic skin condition characterized by intense itching, redness, scaling and inflammation. The researchers (Richard Gallo, et al. from the University of California in San Diego) found that the in-take of vitamin D supplements enhanced the skin’s ability to produce a peptide called cathelicidin, which protects against microbial infections. The findings are published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. The researchers also cautioned that additional research is necessary to evaluate the long-term effects of vitamin D supplementation. These future studies should determine if oral supplementation of vitamin D could become an accepted treatment option to prevent infections in patients with eczema.
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