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Systematic review finds vitamin D supplementation offers no lung function benefit for children with asthma

Systematic review finds vitamin D supplementation offers no lung function benefit for children…
Photo by Supliful - Supplements On Demand / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Vitamin D supplementation shows no overall benefit for lung function or inflammatory markers in children with asthma.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of vitamin D supplementation on children diagnosed with asthma. The study pooled data from multiple trials to assess efficacy across various clinical outcomes. A total of 1239 participants were included in the analysis to determine if supplementation provided therapeutic advantages.

primary analysis focused on forced expiratory volume in one second, or FEV1. Statistical measures indicated no evidence of improvement in this key pulmonary function metric. Similar null results were observed for forced vital capacity and other respiratory indicators. The confidence intervals for these outcomes consistently crossed the line of no effect.

Secondary assessments included peak expiratory flow, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and immunoglobulin E levels. None of these secondary outcomes demonstrated statistically significant changes attributable to the intervention. Clinical asthma control scores also failed to show meaningful enhancement. Safety data were not reported in the source studies included in this review.

The authors conclude that current evidence remains inconsistent regarding pulmonary benefits. Specifically, vitamin D does not appear to improve lung function in this population. Clinicians should not expect therapeutic gains from this specific intervention based on these findings.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedMay 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Childhood asthma is a major public health concern. Current evidence regarding vitamin D supplementation in childhood asthma remains inconsistent, particularly with respect to pulmonary function. This study comprehensively evaluates the role of vitamin D supplementation in childhood asthma, with a particular focus on lung function. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched through October 31, 2025 for RCTs. Data were extracted and analyzed using FEV1 (%) as the primary outcome measure, and FVC (%), FEV1/FVC, PEF, FeNO, cACT, and IgE as secondary outcome measures. Twelve RCTs (n = 1239) were included. We did not find evidence that vitamin D supplementation improves lung function [FEV1 (%): SMD: 0.39, 95% CI: –0.13 to 0.92; FVC (%): SMD: 0.13, 95% CI: –0.73 to 0.98; FEV1/FVC: MD: 0.56, 95% CI: –7.24 to 8.35; PEF: MD: -3.69, 95% CI: –9.71 to 2.34] or cACT scores (MD: 0.16, 95% CI: –0.55 to 0.88), nor does it reduce FeNO or IgE levels (SMD: –0.14, 95% CI: –0.61 to 0.33) in children with asthma. Vitamin D supplementation showed no overall benefit for lung function, IgE levels, FeNO, or cACT scores in children with asthma. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420251270660.
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