Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods like fish, yogurt, beef, and milk. It is also produced from within us when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.
Research suggests that children with atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema, have more severe symptoms the lower their vitamin D levels. Indeed, eczema tends to worsen in the winter when the air is dry and we get less sunlight (a major source of D). Supplementing with D in pill form can improve eczema—or if you're looking for an excuse to vacation, one study found that Norwegian kids with eczema who were taken to a sun-drenched subtropical island for 4 weeks experienced relief from their symptoms that lasted for 3 months after they got back home.
Vitamin D helps prevent infection by helping our bodies produce natural antibiotics, and a study in Archives of Disease in Childhood found that D deficiency is a risk factor for urinary tract infections in children, especially girls. It's a bit too soon to call vitamin D the new cranberry juice, but low levels are associated with UTIs for adults, too; a study of women who suffered from recurrent UTIs found that they had lower levels of vitamin D than women who didn't.
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