Old Mill Chiropractic Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System
The immune system works hard. Like a car or plane or boat, it needs fuel to keep working hard. The fuel for the immune system is a long list of micronutrients, the most talked about being vitamin C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an influential role in a healthy functioning immune system. In addition to spine pain care, Old Mill Chiropractic works with our St Peters chiropractic patients to pay attention to their body’s fuel levels of vitamins like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers studied what factors add to low vitamin C status and learned that vitamin C levels are influenced mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural aspects like traditional cooking methods with traditional core foods like grains which have little vitamin C to give. Environmental factors play a role like geographic region, season, climate, and pollution. Demographic issues 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 contribute to vitamin C levels and should be considered when listing global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied very well around the world particularly in low- and middle- income countries. Completed studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is not unusual in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Old Mill Chiropractic may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are here for our St Peters chiropractic friends!
ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN IMMUNE FUNCTION
Vitamin C is a well-recognized essential factor in immune function and epigenetic inflammatory modifications. Vitamin C is best obtained by regular dietary intake. 41.8% of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) has inadequate levels of vitamin C. Insufficient vitamin C plasma levels were noted in males, adults aged 20-59, Black and Mexican Americans, smokers, those who have higher BMI, and those with middle and high poverty to income ratio and food insecurity. These folks are at greater risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Old Mill Chiropractic encourage our St Peters chiropractic patients recognize if they are at risk for low nutrient levels and address those to be as healthy as possible!
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Health and well-being is a careful balance of several issues, one being a well-functioning immune system. Researchers have established levels of intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, yet many people are low. Deficient levels of such nutrients impair the immune system and lessen its response when it’s 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 call for better understanding of the interactions of multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also suggested. This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Old Mill Chiropractic is prepared to check the vitamin C levels of our St Peters chiropractic patients and help them adjust it as needed.
CONTACT Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the role chiropractic may have in immune system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.
Schedule your St Peters chiropractic appointment today. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!
