Young Chiropractic Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System
The immune system is a hard working system. Like any organ or machine, it needs fuel to keep working hard. The fuel for the immune system is an extensive list of micronutrients, the most mentioned being vitamin C, and rightly so. Vitamin C plays an instrumental role in an immune system that works well. In addition to spine pain care, Young Chiropractic works with our Easley chiropractic patients to pay attention to their body’s fuel levels of nutrients 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 impacted mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural features like traditional cooking methods with traditional staple 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 serious infection or cardiovascular disease or cancerinfluence C levels. Quite a few issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and should be considered when creating global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied very well around the world especially in low- and middle- income countries. Relying on completed studies, researchers report that vitamin C deficiency is commonplace in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Young Chiropractic may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are here for our Easley chiropractic friends!
ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN IMMUNE FUNCTION
Vitamin C is a well-known essential factor in immune function and epigenetic inflammatory modifications. Vitamin C is optimally obtained by regular dietary intake. 41.8% of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) has deficient levels of vitamin C. Insufficient vitamin C plasma levels were found 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) Young Chiropractic encourage our Easley chiropractic patients recognize 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 well-functioning immune system. Researchers have set levels of intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, but many people are low. Inadequate levels of such nutrients impair the immune system and lessen its response when it’s needed most. In a study of 26,282 adults over age 19 in the 2005-2016 NHANES study, a “prevalence of inadequacy” was found 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 explained 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 detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Young Chiropractic is prepared to analyze the vitamin C levels of our Easley chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Young Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the role chiropractic may have in immune system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.
Schedule your Easley chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can explore just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!
