Dr. Butwell 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 rightly so. Vitamin C plays an influential role in a healthy functioning immune system. In addition to spine pain care, Dr. Butwell works with our Georgetown 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 learned that vitamin C levels are influenced mainly by dietary intake. Diet can be affected by cultural aspects like traditional cooking methods with traditional staple foods like grains which have little vitamin C to offer. Environmental factors play 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 cancerinfluence C levels. Quite a few issues seem to contribute to vitamin C levels and should be considered when listing global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied well enough around the world especially in low- and middle- income countries. Relying on completed studies, researchers report that vitamin C deficiency is not unusual in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Dr. Butwell may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our Georgetown 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 optimally obtained by regular 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 who have higher BMI, and those with middle and high poverty to income ratio and food insecurity. These folks are at higher risk for inflammatory driven disease with little or no signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Dr. Butwell urge our Georgetown 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 delicate balance of many issues, one being 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. Deficient levels of such nutrients damage 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 call for better understanding of the interactions of multiple nutrient deficiencies on the immune system is also made. This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Dr. Butwell is prepared to analyze the vitamin C levels of our Georgetown chiropractic patients and assist them in adjusting it as needed.
CONTACT Dr. Butwell
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 Georgetown chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working best!
