Johnson Chiropractic 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 an extensive list of micronutrients, the most talked about being vitamin C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an influential role in an immune system that works well. In addition to spine pain care, Johnson Chiropractic asks our Richmond chiropractic patients to notice their body’s fuel levels of vitamins like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers examined 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 aspects 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 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 add to vitamin C levels and need to be considered when listing global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied very well 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) Johnson Chiropractic may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Richmond 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 deficient levels of vitamin C. Insufficient 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) Johnson Chiropractic encourage our Richmond chiropractic patients recognize 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 being a good functioning immune system. Researchers have established levels of intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, but many people‘s levels are low. Inadequate levels of such nutrients damage the immune system and lessen its response when it is 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 explained as beneficial while a recommendation for better understanding of the interactions of multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also made. This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Johnson Chiropractic is prepared to check the vitamin C levels of our Richmond chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
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 Richmond chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!
