Aurora Chiropractic Center 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 an extensive list of micronutrients, the most talked about being vitamin C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an significant role in a healthy functioning immune system. In addition to spine pain care, Aurora Chiropractic Center asks our Juneau chiropractic patients to notice their body’s fuel levels of vitamins 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 influenced mainly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural factors like traditional cooking methods with traditional staple foods like grains which have little vitamin C to offer. Environmental factors have 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. So many issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and should be thought about when creating 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 not unusual in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Aurora Chiropractic Center may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Juneau 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 insufficient levels of vitamin C. Deficient 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 little or no signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Aurora Chiropractic Center encourage our Juneau chiropractic patients know 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 is a good functioning immune system. Researchers have established 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 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 deficiencies on the immune system is also suggested. This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Aurora Chiropractic Center is ready to check the vitamin C levels of our Juneau chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic 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 play in immune system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.
Make your Juneau chiropractic appointment today. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!
