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 a long list
of micronutrients, the most mentioned being vitamin
C, and rightly so. Vitamin C plays an influential
role in a healthy functioning immune system.
In addition to spine pain care, Pflugerville Wellness Center works with our Pflugerville
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 contribute
to low vitamin C status and found 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 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 severe infection or
cardiovascular disease or cancerimpact C levels. So
many issues seem to contribute to vitamin C levels and need
to be thought about when making
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 not
unusual in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings.
(2) Pflugerville Wellness Center may not be able to address the vitamin C levels
of those around the world, but we are available to our Pflugerville
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 optimally 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 people are at greater
risk for inflammatory driven disease with little or no signs
of low vitamin C levels. (3) Pflugerville Wellness Center urge our Pflugerville
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
many issues; one is a well-functioning
immune system. Researchers have established intake levels 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 is most required.
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 recommendation for better understanding of the interactions of
multiple nutrient deficiencies on the immune system is also made.
This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk
people. (4) Pflugerville Wellness Center is ready to analyze the vitamin
C levels of our Pflugerville chiropractic patients and assist them in
adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Pflugerville Wellness Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes the role chiropractic may play in immune
system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management works.
Schedule your Pflugerville chiropractic
appointment today. Together, we can explore just
how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!