Chiropractic treatment focuses on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. As with all body systems, specific nutrients protect and increase their functional strength. Various chiropractic-recommended supplements can help in the treatment of musculoskeletal issues and help transform an individual’s health.
Chiropractic Education
Chiropractors study food-based supplements that are bio-available to cells and are easily absorbed by the body. These food-based supplements and vitamins are seen as food by the body. Supplements are used in detoxification to overcome nutritional deficiencies and enhance an individual’s diet by taking nutrients to optimum levels. Immune system health can also be strengthened by keeping the body resistant to diseases.
Functional Nutrition
Chiropractic medicine study’s all the building blocks of the body that, include:
Holistic nutrition teaches that the body heals from within, which is why healing the gut first, is essential to healing the rest of the body and maintaining health.
Recommended Chiropractic Supplements
Dietary supplements that directly impact the health of the musculoskeletal and the nervous system.
Potassium
Potassium is an important regulator of nerve impulses.
Electrochemical signals or action potentials use potassium and sodium to generate responses from cells in the nervous system.
Potassium is necessary for turning off nerve impulses and preventing the uncontrolled signaling of nerves.
Uncontrolled signaling can lead to movement disorders.
Calcium
Calcium is necessary for the regulation of the action potentials throughout the body.
Calcium helps initiate action potentials and helps the cells return to a normal state afterward.
Calcium contributes to the development of the nervous system helping guide the nerve cells.
Calcium is a major element of bone health to repair bones’ and facilitate regrowth.
The body will take the calcium from the bones if there is a calcium deficiency.
Vitamin D
One of the most important nutrients for bone health.
Vitamin D helps promote bone development and growth.
Facilitates calcium absorption helping the body process and absorb the calcium.
B12 is essential to the function of the nervous system and the body’s metabolism.
B12 breaks complex carbohydrates into more simplistic glucose for basic functions.
B12 helps maintain the nerve insulator myelin, which is necessary for nerve transmission.
B12 deficiency has been linked to the loss of myelin and can lead to serious conditions like Alzheimer’s.
B12 shots deliver the nutrient directly to the bloodstream bypassing the absorption process necessary for oral supplements.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps balance and facilitate calcium absorption.
Vitamin K helps strengthen bones and increase bone density.
Often recommended for individuals with osteopenia and osteoporosis to help prevent fractures.
How To Choose Supplements
References
Lee, Mi Kyung, et al. “The use of nutritional guidance within chiropractic patient management: a survey of 333 chiropractors from the ACORN practice-based research network.” Chiropractic & manual therapies vol. 26 7. 20 Feb. 2018, doi:10.1186/s12998-018-0175-1
Nguyen, Douglas L. “Guidance for supplemental enteral nutrition across patient populations.” The American journal of managed care vol. 23,12 Suppl (2017): S210-S219.
Pludowski, Pawel, et al. “Vitamin D effects on musculoskeletal health, immunity, autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, fertility, pregnancy, dementia and mortality-a review of recent evidence.” Autoimmunity reviews vol. 12,10 (2013): 976-89. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2013.02.004
Song, Yong-Ak, et al. “Electrochemical activation and inhibition of neuromuscular systems through modulation of ion concentrations with ion-selective membranes.” Nature materials vol. 10,12 980-6. 23 Oct. 2011, doi:10.1038/nmat3146
Chiropractors understand the need to treat the whole body to reduce and alleviate pain. Many types of pain are caused by inflammation. Inflammation is a natural and healthy response to injury; however, chronic inflammation is not. Low-grade chronic inflammation can lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. If not treated, chronic inflammation can spread throughout the body, causing pain and aggravation. When it comes to nutritional health, the foods can worsen chronic pain. Chiropractors and doctors recommend an anti-inflammation diet for chronic pain.
Anti-Inflammation Diet
When the body gets injured, the nervous system sends signals to the immune system to send chemicals and new red and white blood cells needed for healing. The immune system works correctly when it fights infection by activating when the body recognizes anything foreign entering the system. This could be plant pollen, chemicals, or invading microbes. Studies show that individuals get 50 percent of their calories from sugar, white flour, vegetable oil, and industrial seed oils. These foods are known to increase inflammation in the body. Eating foods that trigger the immune system, like refined white flours or sugar, creates inflammation that does not turn off because the information sent constantly signals an injury exacerbating inflammation and pain.
Foods That Cause Inflammation
The following foods should be avoided or limited as much as possible:
Sugary beverages and soda drinks.
Margarine and lard.
Gluten and white pasta.
Refined carbohydrates in white bread and pastries.
Processed meat like sausages and hot dogs.
Red meat like steaks and burgers.
Fried foods that are high in trans fats, like chips and fries.
Excessive alcohol.
Some of these foods have been associated with chronic diseases that include:
Foods high in natural antioxidants include apples and blueberries. Antioxidants are reactive molecules that can reduce the number of free radicals in the diet. A free radical is a molecule that has the potential to alter and damage the cells in the body. Damaged cells increase the risk of disease development.
Chiropractic Inflammation Relief
Chiropractic physiotherapy strengthens the body by strengthening the immune system removing any blockage. This maintains the natural flow of blood and nutrients throughout the body, increasing the immune system’s defense. Changing to an anti-inflammation diet can help boost the immune system but can be a challenging adjustment. Discuss available options to manage pain relief and inflammation.
Body Composition
Muscle Is Not Just For Athletes
Many individuals think that muscle gain is only necessary for athletes. Not everyone wants to be muscular, but everyone needs to be able to fight off sickness from infection/s. Muscle is made up primarily of water and protein. Protein is an essential macronutrient that the body needs to function correctly. When the body enters a stressed state like becoming sick, the body’s protein demands suddenly increase up to four times the amount usually required. If the body does not get the necessary protein from the food, it will begin to take what it needs from the muscles and start breaking them down. If muscles aren’t sufficiently developed or underdeveloped, the body becomes reduced in its ability and strength to fight off infections and increases the chances for future ones.
References
Haß, Ulrike et al. “Anti-Inflammatory Diets and Fatigue.” Nutrients vol. 11,10 2315. 30 Sep. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11102315
Owczarek, Danuta et al. “Diet and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel diseases.” World journal of gastroenterology vol. 22,3 (2016): 895-905. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.895
Sears, Barry. “Anti-inflammatory Diets.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition vol. 34 Suppl 1 (2015): 14-21. doi:10.1080/07315724.2015.1080105
Brain fog, memory problems, concentration, and the inability to form clear thoughts is an issue that many will face at some point. The progression of losing the ability to focus or think clearly can lead to decreased productivity with normal daily tasks, work, or taking care of a household. It can be a short-term issue experience caused by sleep deprivation or stress. However, if these issues are allowed to continue it can negatively change an individual’s quality of life.
Affected Productivity Factors
Causes that can lead to poor productivity include:
The underlying issue/s associated with brain function and the ability to focus are connected to the spine being out of alignment. Individuals often have poor spinal alignment without even realizing it is happening. It affects the body’s blood and nerve transmitting abilities to complete normal daily tasks. Chiropractic treatment is an expert-based approach that focuses on restoring spinal alignment to increase an individual’s health and brain function. Proper spinal alignment allows the nerves to relay messages clearly and optimally through the spinal cord to the brain. This allows for:
Clear thinking
Improved memory
Better decision making
Staying focused on tasks
Chiropractic Optimal Nerve Flow
When the central nervous system/brain/spinal cord is not transmitting properly it can lead to significant issues with concentration and productivity. When nerve energy and brain function is optimized productivity is improved. Research has shown that chiropractic can help:
Reduce the risk of disease
Prevent injuries
Prevent pain conditions
Improved quality of life
Chiropractic medicine can increase the ability to focus, optimize brain health, and more.
Body Composition
Tracing the sources of fatigue
There is a difference between being tired periodically from a long day and being tired daily. Being tired daily is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is a fatigue condition that has lasted longer than 6 months. It is typical to experience many of the symptoms of fatigue that disrupt the ability to achieve health goals like:
Weight loss
Muscle gain
Maintaining body weight
Symptoms include:
Constantly tired
Reduced appetite
Moodiness
Reaction time slows down
Memory Loss
Dizziness
The nature of hectic daily schedules can allow sources of fatigue to pile up. The objective is to find a balance between home, work, physical activity, diet, etc. Chiropractic medicine and health coaching can help develop an optimal plan to get healthy.
Disclaimer
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP, CIFM, CTG*
email: [email protected]
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
References
Craniocervical Junction Disorder. USC Spine Center Web site. http://spine.keckmedicine.org/treatments-services/craniocervical-junction-disorder/. Accessed August 25, 2017.
Anderson, Brian, and Adam Pitsinger. “Improvement in chronic muscle fasciculations with dietary change: a suspected case of gluten neuropathy.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 13,3 (2014): 188-91. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2014.01.002
Ross, Amanda J, et al. “What is brain fog? An evaluation of the symptom in postural tachycardia syndrome.” Clinical autonomic research: official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society vol. 23,6 (2013): 305-11. doi:10.1007/s10286-013-0212-z
With everything that is going on in today’s world immunity is especially important. Without a properly functioning immune system, our bodies can become inflamed and more susceptible to viruses. Inflammation can cause a weakened immune system, joint pain, headaches, fatigue and more!
So what can we do to build up our immunity and help give our bodies a fighting chance? First off, washing your hands is highly important. Not just now, but always. Be sure to wash your hands with warm water and scrub everywhere. Second, get plenty of sleep. Rest is how the body recovers. If you do not give your body adequate sleep, the strength you’re cells have to fight off infection lessens. Third, eat healthy food, hydrate, and exercise. Finally, last but not least help kick up your immune system by supplementing the body with all-natural supplements.
There are many supplements that will be beneficial to the body. However, two of the most important are NAC and Glutamine.
What Are They?
NAC stands for N-acetyl-Cystine. NAC is an amino acid that the body can produce but the body can also greatly benefit from taking additional NAC in supplemental form. NAC plays an important role in helping the liver to detox. In addition to this, NAC helps to replenish the glutathione levels in the lungs and can help to reduce the inflammation. This is highly beneficial in helping to relieve the symptoms of a respiratory infection.
NAC is also greatly beneficial in boosting brain health. NAC helps to regulate glutamate levels and replenish glutathione. However, one of the most important factors of NAC is its ability to boost Glutathione levels.
Glutamine is an amino acid that helps the body perform many functions. Glutamine plays a crucial part in the immune system.
The Connection & How It Impacts Immunity
However, one of the most important factors of NAC is its ability to booze Glutathione levels. NAC and glutathione can help to boost an individual’s immune health. In research studies shown, NAC has been shown to lessen the effects of a virus and its ability to replicate. When it comes to immunity NAC and Glutamine are powerful molecules. Stoping the replication of a virus can help reduce the spread and the length of the virus in an individual.
Many infections and diseases have been linked to low glutathione levels. When the glutathione levels are low this is typically due to enhanced oxygen radicals. Studies have been done and show that when supplementing NAC to those who have low glutathione levels, it directly boosts their levels and helps with infection.
Especially with everything happening today, we want to increase our immunity and decrease the inflammation in the body.� Essentially, think of the body as a road trip. For this trip we need two main things: the gas for the car, and the car to take you to the end destination.� NAC is the gas that drives the car. We need the gas to get to our end destination. Our end destination is being healthy and giving our body the best chance to fight off infection (increased Glutathione). So by giving our body gas (NAC) we provide it with what it needs to take us to where we want to go (increased Glutathione, leading to increased immunity).
How Can I Benefit?
Overall, NAC is great to decrease inflammation. Inflammation is an extremely common underlying issue relating to other health conditions individuals suffer from. By providing your body with additional supplements, you can help increase your immunity and decrease your chances of contracting a virus and/or the length of the virus. Always discuss supplements with your primary care doctor before you begin them, but consider adding these into your daily routine!
I always recommend talking to your primary care provider and taking supplements daily. Supplements, in general, are a great way to help provide the body with the essential vitamins and minerals you may be missing. However, now more than ever supplementation is key. By building up and providing the body with the nutrients it needs for proper function, it will help prepare your body to fight off an infection. Supplementation like NAC is great to have already running in your system to help combat an infection if you were to catch one. Remember to be smart, talk to a primary care doctor before beginning supplementation, and keep in mind that not all supplements are created equal.� -Kenna Vaughn, Senior Health Coach��
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.�
References:
Dinicola S, De Grazia S, Carlomagno G, Pintucci JP. N-acetylcysteine as powerful molecule to destroy bacterial biofilms. A systematic review.�Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2014;18(19):2942�2948.
Wessner B, Strasser EM, Spittler A, Roth E. Effect of single and combined supply of glutamine, glycine, N-acetylcysteine, and R,S-alpha-lipoic acid on glutathione content of myelomonocytic cells.�Clin Nutr. 2003;22(6):515�522. doi:10.1016/s0261-5614(03)00053-0
Stomach pain, burning or aching 1-4 hours after eating
Sense of fullness during and after meals
If you are experiencing any of the situations, then you might want to try these six types of food to help boost your immune system.
The Immune System
The immune system is the body�s defense mechanism that provides a robust anatomical barrier.� The gastrointestinal tract is one of the barriers. It has many defense mechanisms such as peristalsis, gastric acid, bile acids, digestive enzymes, flushing, thiocyanate, defensins, and gut flora in the body. The gut flora is the critical focus for many health professionals; however, all the essential defense mechanisms rely heavily on the gastrointestinal tract to function efficiently.
There are ways to benefit the immune system as one of the ways is to plan meals that are filled with necessary nutrients that can fight off infections. Prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods help enhance microbial diversity in the gut, while vitamin C-rich foods can mop up the free radicals that have entered the body. Another benefit is to avoid foods that promote infections like heavily processed foods, added sugars, and sodas. When it is not consumed in the body, it can help boost immunity and enrich the gut microbiome. Here are the six foods to help boost the immune system in the body.
Yellow Bell Peppers
Due to being the most natural vegetable to find at a local grocery store or farmer’s markets around the world, yellow bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges. Since oranges contain about 78% of vitamin C, yellow bell peppers contain about 152% of vitamin C and numerous vitamins and minerals. Bell peppers (yellow, red, orange and green) contain the following:
Vitamin B6: Bell peppers contain pyridoxine, which is an essential nutrient for the formation of red blood cells.
Vitamin K1: This vitamin is also known as phylloquinone, which is vital for bone health and blood clotting.
Potassium: This mineral is essential for improving heart health.
Folate: Also known as vitamin B9, this vitamin has a variety of functions to the body and is highly essential to take during pregnancy.
Vitamin E: This is a powerful antioxidant that is essential for healthy nerves and muscles.
Vitamin A: Red bell peppers are high in beta carotene when consumed converts to vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin C helps boost the immune system by influencing the development and function of lymphocytes, and with about half a cup of yellow bell peppers will give the body those lymphocytes.
Guava
Guava is a traditional remedy for a range of health conditions that a person may encounter. These tropical fruits are seasonal throughout the winter. They contain about 140% of vitamin C and rich with lycopene, which is excellent for the immune system as it plays an essential role in the activities of the enzymes. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that has been implicated in having a potentially beneficial impact on several chronic diseases, including cancer.
Studies have been shown that the guava fruit and the leaves have been known to have a positive effect on a range of illnesses and symptoms, including:
Type 2 diabetes
Menstrual cramps
Diarrhea
Flu
Blood pressure
Osteoarthritis
Cancer
Broccoli
Broccoli is high in phytonutrients like vitamins A, C, and E while also containing sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is activated when broccoli or any cruciferous vegetables are chewed, cut, or damaged. Raw broccoli or broccoli sprouts contain the highest level of sulforaphane when it is not boiled or cooked. Studies have been shown that consuming broccoli has been associated with reducing many lifestyle-related health conditions like:
Obesity
Diabetes
Improves digestion
Regulate the immune system
Helps support healthy-looking skin
Decrease inflammation
Lowers blood pressure
Turmeric
Turmeric is an excellent immune-boosting food since it supports healthy inflammatory pathways in the body. Inflammation in the body is implicated in the pathophysiology of many health-compromising situations that can lead to chronic illnesses. So consuming pro healthy inflammation foods like turmeric or incorporating turmeric in dishes is an ideal way to boost the immune system.
The active component in turmeric is curcumin and has potent biological properties like anti-oxidative, anti-cytotoxic, and neurorestorative properties, making it an essential staple in an immune-boosting food. Here are some of the benefits that turmeric provides to the body:
Anti-inflammatory properties
Pain relief on the joints
Improves liver function
Reducing the risk of cancer
Preventing gut inflammation
Green Tea
Green tea helps the body relax and contains L-theanine that helps the formation of healthy T-cells. Green tea also contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and is packed filled with flavonoids to help boost the body’s immune system. Here are some of the health benefits that green tea provides:
Cancer prevention
Lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Lowers cholesterol
Decrease the risk of a stroke
Lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes
Help lose weight
Helps lowers inflammation on the skin
Improves brain function
Helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer�s disease
Almonds
Almonds are packed filled with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fibers. It contains vitamin E and helps boost the immune system since it is a free radical scavenging antioxidant. They are easy to find in any grocery store, and the health benefits that almonds can provide are:
Lowering cholesterol
Reduce the risk of cancer
Provide heart health benefits
Reduce type 2 diabetes
Manage weight
Conclusion
Eating these six foods can be beneficial to support a healthy immune system. They are bursting with plant-based nutrition that the body needs to make sure that chronic illnesses like inflammation in the gut. Some products help support the immune system as well as making sure that the gastrointestinal system and the sugar metabolism is supported. Eating a variety of foods that has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties is beneficial to the body. With the cold and flu season approaching, it is highly relevant to consume these foods to help fight against the cold and flu and providing assistance to the immune system.
October is Chiropractic Health Month. To learn more about it, check out Governor Abbott�s declaration on our website to get full details on this historic moment.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Reference:
Ahmed, Touqeer, et al. �Curcuminoids Rescue Long-Term Potentiation Impaired by Amyloid Peptide in Rat Hippocampal Slices. – Semantic Scholar.� Undefined, 1 Jan. 1970, www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Curcuminoids-rescue-long-term-potentiation-impaired-Ahmed-Gilani/c66297f8d0f3b633fac263cbb81f82de1893387a.
Arnarson, Atli. �Bell Peppers 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.� Healthline, 27 Mar. 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/bell-peppers.
Burgess, Lana. �Health Benefits of Guava: How to Use It, Nutrition, and Risks.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 20 Mar. 2019, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324758.php.
Du, Guang-Jian, et al. �Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) Is the Most Effective Cancer Chemopreventive Polyphenol in Green Tea.� Nutrients, MDPI, 8 Nov. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3509513/.
Kim, DS, et al. “Curcuminoids from Curcuma Longa L. (Zingiberaceae) That Protect PC12 Rat Pheochromocytoma and Normal Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells from BetaA(1-42) Insult.� Neuroscience Letters, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Apr. 2001, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11297823.
Luo, Cong, and Xian-Guo Wu. �Lycopene Enhances Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Immunity Function in N-Methyl-N’-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine-Enduced Gastric Cancer Rats.� International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116194/.
Menon, Venugopal P, and Adluri Ram Sudheer. �Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Curcumin.� Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569207.
Nordqvist, Joseph. �Almonds: Health Benefits, Nutrition, and Risks.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 14 Dec. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269468.php.
Team, Biotics Education. �Key Foods to Boost the Immune System.� Biotics Research Blog, 15 Oct. 2019, blog.bioticsresearch.com/key-foods-to-boost-the-immune-system.
van Gorkom, Gwendolyn N Y, et al. �Influence of Vitamin C on Lymphocytes: An Overview.� Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 10 Mar. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29534432.
Vermeulen, Martijn, et al. �Bioavailability and Kinetics of Sulforaphane in Humans after Consumption of Cooked versus Raw Broccoli.� Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Nov. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18950181.
Ware, Megan. �Broccoli: Health Benefits, Nutritional Information.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 8 Dec. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266765.php.
Ware, Megan. �Green Tea: Health Benefits, Side Effects, and Research.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 28 Mar. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269538.php.
Ware, Megan. �Turmeric: Benefits and Nutrition.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 24 May 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306981.php.
In today�s fast-paced society, we�re bombarded with various forms of stress that can wreck havoc on our immune systems. Chiropractors are particularly interested in helping their chiropractic patients overcome these stressors in order to maintain a healthy and balanced life. Outside of the chiropractic adjustment, let�s take a look at three nutritional tips that will help chiropractic patients boost their immune system.
Chiropractic patients� immune systems run their best when subluxations, also know as vertebral misalignments, are corrected. However, a proper diet can�t be ignored. By combining both forces, your immune system is better equipped to ward off many contaminants that try to invade the body through normal day-to-day activity.
Immune System: Nutritional Tip #1 � Get Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known for strengthening bones and teeth by helping the body absorb calcium. People who get too little vitamin D may develop soft, thin, and brittle bones, a condition known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
But did you know that it is also known to offer sufficient protection against a wide range of illnesses and chronic diseases like cancer? In addition, it improve’s the body’s natural response to bacterial infections like tuberculosis and helps to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides which are very important in boosting the immunity.
Since each patient�s health situation is different, ask your chiropractor how much vitamin D you need for optimal health.
Nutritional Tip #2 � Get Your Veggies
In culinary terms, vegetables are edible plants or their parts, intended for cooking or eating raw. You can quickly find what foods are in the vegetable group by visiting ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels (all from the brassica family) produce chemicals that are know to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and boost the body’s immune system. One great way to make sure you�re getting all of your vegetables for the day is through juicing. If you�re new to juicing, check out this great resource on juicing vegetables.
Nutritional Tip #3 � Avoid Alcohol
Most chiropractic patients are health-conscious. However, new chiropractic patients may be oblivious to the entire concept since our society is geared more toward sickness care instead of true healthcare. Regardless, maintaining a healthy diet is absolutely essential to maintaining a strong immune system. One way to do this is by avoiding or reducing alcohol consumption.
Why? Because research has proven that alcohol can cause immunodeficiencies that, in return, can make you more susceptible to tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia and many other communicable diseases.
In addition, the use of alcohol is linked to cancer. Although many people in our society consume it for recreational purposes, it is important to note that alcohol is a drug that can poison your body and deplete you of essentials vitamins and minerals. Therefore, zero alcohol consumption translates into a super strong immune system.
If you need even more convincing, simply visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism�s website to learn more about alcohol facts and statistics.
To discover more nutritional tips that will help you build a stronger immune system, make sure you talk to your chiropractor. If you�ve never been to one, give us a call. We�d love to help guide you toward a more healthy lifestyle through safe and effective chiropractic care!
This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.
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