Moriarty Chiropractic 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 an extensive list of micronutrients, the most mentioned being vitamin C, and for good reason. Vitamin C plays an instrumental role in a healthy functioning immune system. In addition to spine pain care, Moriarty Chiropractic asks our Nashua chiropractic patients to pay attention to their body’s fuel levels of vitamins like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!

LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS

Researchers examined 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 features 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 contribute to vitamin C levels and should be considered 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. 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) Moriarty Chiropractic may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Nashua 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 deficient levels of vitamin C. Insufficient vitamin C plasma levels were found 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 greater risk for inflammatory driven disease with few if any signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Moriarty Chiropractic urge our Nashua chiropractic patients know 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 many issues, one being a good functioning immune system. Researchers have established intake levels of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, but many people‘s levels are low. Inadequate levels of such nutrients impair the immune system and weaken its response when it’s most needed. 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 deficiencies on the immune system is also made. This would help detect optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Moriarty Chiropractic is ready to analyze the vitamin C levels of our Nashua chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.

CONTACT Moriarty 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 along with how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.

Schedule your Nashua chiropractic appointment now. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!