Immunonutrition for Better Patient Outcomes
Immunonutrition for Better Patient Outcomes
There is a rapidly developing paradigm shift in how immune health is being addressed by healthcare practitioners across the spectrum. As a chiropractor, you are in a unique position to guide patients towards better lifestyle choices, which promote immune resilience and optimal wellness. Changes in healthcare delivery require practitioners to stay ahead of the curve and build on niche areas of treatment. Why? It’s essential for successful patient outcomes and helps sustain practice growth in a competitive market. The renewed focus on immune health because of the current pandemic and anticipated flu season presents an exciting opportunity for chiropractic-nutrition synergy.
Chiropractic focuses on the link between physical alignment and nervous system functionality as it relates to pain management and injury healing. How many chiropractors also promote the direct relationship between the nervous and immune systems —specifically, the importance of healthy communication and cooperation between the two systems to foster preventative and restorative health? The International Chiropractors Association’s March 2020 report titled Immune Function and Chiropractic: What Does the Evidence Provide? summarizes this connection and challenges chiropractors to use all means available to support patients’ immune systems. Unprecedented levels of mental stress insidiously encourage immunocompromise and exacerbate existing psychological conditions. It’s more important than ever to reach deep into the chiropractor’s toolkit, which may mean adding a new tool.
Optimal nutritional uptake in the small intestine depends on a healthy gut microbiome, normal intestinal permeability, and quality nutrition.
Whether it is via in-person adjustments, telehealth, or web-based education, the methods for delivering patient care are definitely evolving. Surviving the uncertainty will require maximizing your patient protocols for optimal success. Incorporating aspects of immunonutrition is one of the most valuable immune-enhancing strategies aside from in-person office visits, which may be limited or nonexistent with social distancing protocols.
In general, the human body is well suited for self-healing, even though it may occasionally require some chiropractic help. Optimal nutritional uptake in the small intestine depends on a healthy gut microbiome, normal intestinal permeability, and quality nutrition. Chiropractors should consider it because of the emerging understanding that 70 to 80% of the immune system resides in the gut. If gut health is compromised, the immune system is compromised, which needs to be a focus of patient care and education.
You can inspire and direct change at a time when patients may feel overwhelmed and afraid. Few patients understand the connection between diet, leaky gut, inflammation, pain, and immunocompromise, so education is key. Strengthening the gut lining and improving the microbiome are the first steps toward improving nutritional uptake and creating immune resilience. Dietary supplements with functional food capabilities should complement lifestyle changes to help offset the challenges of modern life.
With over 200 immune bioactives and growth factors, colostrum provides the foundation for mammalian immunity, which begins at birth. Liposomal bovine colostrum is the one functional food with the most positive impact on the gastrointestinal tract that can be utilized throughout life. Likewise, it is also suited to the healing nature of chiropractic with additional benefits, including anti-inflammatory activity, pain management, and muscle, bone, and connective tissue repair. Colostrum offers an economical, nonaddictive, and natural solution for whole-body homeostasis and immune resilience, which are attractive features for holistically oriented patients. Chiropractic practices that include nutritional therapies will likewise be attracted to this breakthrough category and benefit from the earning potential.
Douglas Wyatt is the founder of Sovereign Laboratories, the colostrum company providing the most efficacious bovine colostrum; proven to heal and protect leaky gut syndrome. As Director of the Center for Nutritional Research, he is the leading expert in colostrum and is credited with reintroducing bovine colostrum for human use.
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