Vitamins A and D may play a significant role in improving lung function and influencing key genetic regulatory mechanisms in people with asthma, potentially opening the door to more personalized approaches to asthma management. That scientific finding was detailed by international researchers in the paper, “The Impact of Vitamins A and D on Lung Function and Regulatory Epigenetics in Adult and Childhood Asthma,” published in the journal, Thorax.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 2,200 participants across two asthma cohorts: 1,165 children from the Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (GACRS) and 1,041 adults from the Omic Determinants of Longitudinal Lung Function in Asthma (ODOLLFA) study. Investigators examined vitamin A and D levels alongside lung function measurements, DNA methylation patterns and microRNA (miRNA) expression — molecular markers that help regulate gene activity.
The study’s authors reported finding that higher vitamin A levels were associated with better lung function in both children and adults with asthma. Children with higher vitamin A levels, they further noted, demonstrated improved measurements of forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), two key indicators of respiratory health. Investigators reported observing similar positive associations among adults.
Maintaining lung function is vital for preventing chronic respiratory conditions, the study’s authors noted, highlighting the importance of identifying nutritional factors that may support respiratory health.
Although vitamin D did not show a significant association with lung function in children, the study’s findings showed that adults with higher vitamin D levels experienced better lung performance. Adults who maintained sufficient vitamin D levels also showed lower levels of epigenetic age acceleration, which is a biological marker associated with aging processes, investigators noted.
The findings suggest that adequate vitamin D may offer dual benefits for adults with asthma by supporting both respiratory health and healthier biological aging, researchers said.
Beyond traditional health measures, the study explored how vitamins affect epigenetic mechanisms, which are biological processes that influence gene activity without altering DNA sequences. Researchers identified changes in DNA methylation and miRNA expression associated with vitamin levels.
One particularly notable finding involved the IRF5 gene, a regulator of immune responses. Higher vitamin A and D levels were consistently linked to reduced methylation at a specific IRF5 site, a pattern associated with improved lung function and slower biological aging, researchers noted. They also identified hundreds of genes targeted by vitamin-associated miRNAs, many involved in immune signaling, inflammation and cell-cycle regulation. These pathways, they said, are known to play important roles in asthma development and progression.
The authors emphasized that the study does not prove causation, but it does provide strong evidence that nutritional status may influence asthma outcomes through complex molecular pathways. Mediation analyses suggested that DNA methylation and miRNA activity may partially explain the relationship between vitamin levels and lung health, they wrote. However, they also cautioned that additional research, including long-term studies and more precise vitamin measurements, will be needed to determine how vitamin supplementation might affect respiratory health over time.
