Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System

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 an extensive list of micronutrients, the most talked about 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, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre asks our Toronto chiropractic patients to notice 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 mainly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural features like traditional cooking methods with traditional core foods like grains which have little vitamin C to give. 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 severe infection or cardiovascular disease or cancerimpact C levels. So many issues seem to add to vitamin C levels and need to 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. Relying on completed studies, researchers report that vitamin C deficiency is common in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre may not be able to fix the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are here for our Toronto 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 inadequate levels of vitamin C. Deficient vitamin C plasma levels were noted 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 few if any signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre urge our Toronto 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 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 are low. Inadequate levels of such nutrients damage the immune system and lessen 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 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 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) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is prepared to analyze the vitamin C levels of our Toronto chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.

CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the role chiropractic may play in immune system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.

Make your Toronto chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can explore just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!