Vancouver Disc Centers Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System
The immune system works hard. Like any organ or machine, it needs fuel to keep working hard. The fuel for the immune system is a long list of micronutrients, the most talked about being vitamin C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an influential role in a healthy functioning immune system. In addition to spine pain care, Vancouver Disc Centers asks our Vancouver chiropractic patients to pay attention to 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 found that vitamin C levels are influenced mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural factors like traditional cooking methods with traditional core 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 serious infection or cardiovascular disease or cancerinfluence C levels. Quite a few issues seem to contribute 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 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) Vancouver Disc Centers may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Vancouver 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 consistent 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 higher risk for inflammatory driven disease with little or no signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Vancouver Disc Centers encourage our Vancouver 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 is a well-functioning immune system. Researchers have established levels of intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, yet many people‘s levels are low. Deficient levels of such nutrients impair the immune system and weaken its response when it’s 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 explained 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) Vancouver Disc Centers is prepared to check the vitamin C levels of our Vancouver chiropractic patients and help them adjust it as needed.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the role chiropractic may have in immune system health along with how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.
Make your Vancouver chiropractic appointment now. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!
