The immune system works hard.
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 significant
role in a healthy functioning immune system.
In addition to spine pain care, Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center asks our Pensacola
chiropractic patients to notice their body’s fuel
levels of nutrients like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers examined what factors add
to low vitamin C status and found that vitamin C levels are influenced
mainly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by
cultural aspects like traditional cooking methods with
traditional staple foods like grains which have little vitamin C to offer.
Environmental factors play 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 serious infection or
cardiovascular disease or cancerimpact C levels. Quite a few issues seem to contribute to vitamin C levels and need
to be considered when making
global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied
well enough around the world especially in
low- and middle- income countries. Completed studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is common in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings.
(2) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels
of those around the world, but we are available to our Pensacola
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 regular dietary intake. 41.8%
of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Surveys (NHANES) has insufficient 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 folks are at higher
risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs
of low vitamin C levels. (3) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center encourage our Pensacola
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
many issues, one being a well-functioning
immune system. Researchers have set intake levels 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 most needed.
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 described as beneficial
while a call for better understanding of the interactions of
multiple nutrient deficiencies on the immune system is also made.
This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk
people. (4) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center is ready to analyze the vitamin
C levels of our Pensacola chiropractic patients and help them adjust it as needed.
CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab 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 as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management works.
Schedule your Pensacola chiropractic
appointment today. Together, we can explore just
how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!