Manahawkin Chiropractic Center Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System
The immune system is a hard working system. 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 mentioned being vitamin C, and rightly so. Vitamin C plays an significant role in an immune system that works well. In addition to spine pain care, Manahawkin Chiropractic Center asks our Manahawkin chiropractic patients to notice 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 mainly 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 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 cancerinfluence C levels. So many issues seem to contribute to vitamin C levels and should be thought about when making 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) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Manahawkin 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 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 higher risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center urge our Manahawkin 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 good functioning immune system. Researchers have set intake levels of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, yet many people are low. Deficient levels of such nutrients damage 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 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 shortages on the immune system is also suggested. This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is ready to check the vitamin C levels of our Manahawkin chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Manahawkin 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.
Schedule your Manahawkin chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!
