The immune system is a hard working system.
Like a car or plane or boat, it needs fuel to keep
working hard. The fuel for the immune system is an extensive list
of micronutrients, the most discussed being vitamin
C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an instrumental
role in an immune system that works well.
In addition to spine pain care, New Roads Chiropractic Center asks our New Roads
chiropractic patients to notice their body’s fuel
levels of nutrients like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers studied what factors contribute
to low vitamin C status and learned that vitamin C levels are impacted
mainly by dietary intake. Diet can be influenced by
cultural features like traditional cooking methods with
traditional core foods like grains which have little vitamin C to give.
Environmental factors have a role like geographic region,
season, climate, and pollution. Demographic factors like age, race,
sex, and socioeconomic factors like deprivation, education, institutionalization,
and social class. Health factors like smoking, body weight, pregnancy/lactation,
genetic variants, as well as diseases like severe infection or
cardiovascular disease or cancerimpact C levels. Quite a few issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and need
to be thought about when listing
global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied
well enough around the world especially in
low- and middle- income countries. Relying on completed studies, researchers
report that vitamin C deficiency is usual in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings.
(2) New Roads Chiropractic Center may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels
of those around the world, but we are here for our New Roads
chiropractic friends!
ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN IMMUNE FUNCTION
Vitamin C is a well-recognized key
factor in immune function and epigenetic inflammatory modifications. Vitamin C
is best obtained by consistent dietary intake. 41.8%
of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Surveys (NHANES) has inadequate levels of vitamin C.
Deficient vitamin C plasma levels were found in
males, adults aged 20-59, Black and Mexican Americans, smokers, those with higher BMI, and those with middle and high poverty to income
ratio and food insecurity. These people are at greater
risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs
of low vitamin C levels. (3) New Roads Chiropractic Center urge our New Roads
chiropractic patients know if they are at risk for low nutrient
levels and work to raise them to be as healthy as possible!
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Health and well-being is a delicate balance of
several issues; one is a good functioning
immune system. Researchers have established levels of
intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, yet
many people are low. Inadequate levels
of such nutrients impair the immune system and weaken
its response when it is most required.
In a study of 26,282 adults over age 19 in the 2005-2016 NHANES study, a “prevalence
of inadequacy” was seen for all of these:
- 45% for vitamin A
- 46% for vitamin C
- 95% for vitamin D
- 84% for vitamin E
- 15% for zinc
Supplementation is described as beneficial
while a recommendation for better understanding of the interactions of
multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also made.
This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk
people. (4) New Roads Chiropractic Center is prepared to check the vitamin
C levels of our New Roads chiropractic patients and assist them in
adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes the role chiropractic may play in immune
system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management works.
Schedule your New Roads chiropractic
appointment now. Together, we can explore just
how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!