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 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, Satterwhite Chiropractic asks our Oxford
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 add
to low vitamin C status and found that vitamin C levels are impacted
mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be influenced 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 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 cancerinfluence C levels. Quite a few issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and should be considered when creating
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) Satterwhite Chiropractic may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels
of those around the world, but we are here for our Oxford
chiropractic friends!
ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN IMMUNE FUNCTION
Vitamin C is a well-recognized key
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 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 folks are at greater
risk for inflammatory driven disease with little or no signs
of low vitamin C levels. (3) Satterwhite Chiropractic urge our Oxford
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 levels of
intake of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, but
many people are low. Deficient levels
of such nutrients impair 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 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 described as beneficial
while a call for better understanding of the interactions of
multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also suggested.
This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk
people. (4) Satterwhite Chiropractic is prepared to analyze the vitamin
C levels of our Oxford chiropractic patients and help them adjust it as needed.
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates the role chiropractic may have in immune
system health along with how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management works.
Make your Oxford chiropractic
appointment now. Together, we can delve into just
how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!