Melbourne researchers are looking at whether vitamin D could help to stem Australia's growing allergy epidemic.
Researchers from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute are seeking 1,700 babies to take part in a five-year clinical trial testing whether a daily vitamin D supplement could prevent food allergies.
Australian researchers fear an "allergy pandemic" is emerging in the country with roughly one in 10 infants, and one in 20 children, suffering from food-related allergies.
Institute researcher Kirsten Perrett told the ABC previous research showed vitamin D deficiency may play a role in children developing food allergies.
"People who live in countries further away from the equator who receive less sunlight and as a result may make less vitamin D have higher rates of food allergies so this provides a clue that vitamin D might contribute to food allergies," Associate Professor Perrett said.
She said food allergies had been on the rise over the last 30 years in Australia, ever since nationwide awareness campaigns began on the need for Aussies to wear sunscreen to protect against skin cancer.
"That's why we are doing a large clinical trial to see whether taking a daily drop of vitamin D over the first year of life can help prevent food allergies," she said.
Associate Professor Perrett said if the trial proved successful it could provide evidence to inform public health recommendations.
She said peanut and tree nuts, milk and eggs and fish and seafood allergies made up about 90 per cent of all food allergies.
"Vitamin D could be part of the puzzle that we might be able to put in place to prevent allergies in future children," she said.
The research institute is seeking 1,700 children from Melbourne aged between six to 12 weeks to take part in the study.
A free allergy test will be given when the child turns one to test for the 12 most common childhood allergens, including nuts, eggs and cow's milk.
