Adequate Vitamin D3 Supplementation During Pregnancy: Decreasing the Prevalence of Asthma and Food Allergies.

Vitamin D is a secosterol that is naturally synthesized in the skin upon contact with ultraviolet rays. This vitamin can also be acquired from dietary and nutritional supplements. The active form, vitamin D₃, is primarily responsible for calcium homeostasis and bone health. However, many recent studies have associated low levels of vitamin D₃ with asthma and food allergies. In this review, we discuss literature to explore the potential that vitamin D₃ deficiency may be contributing toward the development of asthma and food allergies. These studies indicate that mothers who supplement with doses of vitamin D₃ recommended for daily consumption (400 IU) by the United States Food and Drug Administration is not enough to deliver adequate levels to breastfed infants. Because sufficient vitamin D₃ serum levels correlate with a low incidence of asthma and food allergies, high dose vitamin D₃ supplementation (4000 IU) by pregnant and breastfeeding women may limit the development of asthma and food allergies in newborns.