This supplement could help you hack your asthma

Wouldn’t it be nice to ditch the inhaler and be done with asthma for good? That time hasn’t quite arrived, but according to a new study, vitamin D can drastically lower your chances of having a severe attack when used alongside standard medication.

After analyzing data from 955 participants with mainly mild-to-moderate asthma in multiple controlled trials, researchers found that vitamin D supplementation led to a 30 percent reduction in the rate of asthma attacks requiring treatment with injections or steroid tablets, as well as a 50 percent reduction in the risk at least one attack requiring emergency services and/or hospitalization, according to a press release.

“Vitamin D is safe to take and relatively inexpensive, so supplementation represents a potentially cost-effective strategy to reduce this problem,” Dr. Martineau said.

More research still needs to be done in order to conclusively verify the results, but, hey—living a wheeze-free life is now more than just a pipe—er, inhaler—dream. But how does something as simple as vitamin D cut the risk of a severe attack in half? Researchers think the supplement protects you simply by providing the immune system a boost that makes it stronger in fighting off respiratory viruses and keeping airway inflammation at bay.

“These results add to the ever growing body of evidence that vitamin D can support immune function as well as bone health,” said lead researcher Adrian Martineau, PhD, in the release. “Vitamin D is safe to take and relatively inexpensive, so supplementation represents a potentially cost-effective strategy to reduce this problem.”

Interested in vitamin D? Schedule an appointment with your doc to see how much you might need in order to reap the most asthma-ridding benefits. Who knows? The drugstore supplement could save your life.

Here’s how an app might start diagnosing your the symptoms of your ailment. And if you’re experiencing inflammation, the culprit might surprise you.