Is asthma a disease of sunlight/vitamin D deficiency?
Yes. Asthma, to a great extent, is caused by sun avoidance and consequent vitamin D deficiency. Asthma, a devastating respiratory illness, is increasing rapidly in the US. The latest statistics I have show that the overall prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980-1994, and asthma rates in children under the age of five increased more than 160%.[1] There is little doubt that the profound increase in asthma in the last few decades has been caused to a great extent by our societal exodus from sunlight exposure along with the increased use of sunscreen, which can inhibit up to 99% of vitamin D production by the skin.[2] Drs Litonjua and Weiss, in a medical hypothesis presented in 2007, made a strong case for vitamin D deficiency as a major player in the increase in asthma incidence among both children and adults.[3] They hypothesized the following: 1. as populations grow more prosperous, more time is spent indoors, and there is less exposure to sunlight, leading to decreased cutaneous
