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 an extensive list
of micronutrients, the most mentioned being vitamin
C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an instrumental
role in a healthy functioning immune system.
In addition to spine pain care, Back And Neck Care Center works with our Severna Park
chiropractic patients to pay attention to their body’s fuel
levels of vitamins like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers examined what factors contribute
to low vitamin C status and learned that vitamin C levels are impacted
mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be influenced 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 serious infection or
cardiovascular disease or cancerimpact C levels. So
many issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and should be thought about when making
global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied
well enough 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) Back And Neck Care Center may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels
of those around the world, but we are available to our Severna Park
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 best obtained by consistent dietary intake. 41.8%
of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Surveys (NHANES) has deficient levels of vitamin C.
Deficient vitamin C plasma levels were noted 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 folks are at greater
risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs
of low vitamin C levels. (3) Back And Neck Care Center encourage our Severna Park
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 careful 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, yet
many people‘s levels are low. Inadequate levels
of such nutrients impair the immune system and weaken
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 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 explained as beneficial
while a call for better understanding of the interactions of
multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also made.
This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk
people. (4) Back And Neck Care Center is ready to check the vitamin
C levels of our Severna Park chiropractic patients and assist them in
adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center
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 along with how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management works.
Schedule your Severna Park chiropractic
appointment now. Together, we can explore just
how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!