A Local Lorain Resident Offers Helping Hands

By Dr. Sam Salas, DC

What is health? What makes a person healthy? Why do some people catch a virus and feel ill while others seem to have little to no symptoms at all?

A healthy constitution consists of many things, including genetics, diet, exercise, stress, rest, and toxicity.

As far as toxicity is concerned, the avoidance of harmful chemicals is crucial to long-term health. This avoidance can be difficult in today's environment, which is why ensuring other areas are at optimal levels at all times.

I will cover toxicity, diet, and exercise more in-depth in the future. But, to quickly break it down, a proper diet consists of a variety of foods: foods that are preferably low in sugar content, that include a high content of leafy greens, vegetables, protein and nuts, and that limit starchy foods such as potatoes, cereals, and noodles. Specific values vary depending on one's body type, allergies, and exercise habits.

Salas Family Chiropractic—2271 Cooper Foster Rd. Amherst, Ohio

photo by Jen Navarro

It is a good idea for some people to supplement their diets with nutrients depending on conditions they may have, but in general, there are a few that can help boost a person's immune system. Vitamins C, D, and E are essential immune enhancers, and glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid, and zinc provide powerful antioxidant protection to the body. By no means is this list allencompassing, but rather the building blocks that help maintain health.

Exercising for approximately 30 minutes per day, depending on intensity, can naturally enhance the body's immune response. Alternatively, too little or too much exercise can give the opposite effect and can hurt the immune system.

Eight hours of sleep are also beneficial to maintain optimal health. Inconsistencies as to when you sleep and wake and whether you are taking medications to fall asleep also play factors.

There are two main theories regarding health that were suggested in the 1800: The Germ Theory of Disease by Louis Pasteur and The Terrain Theory by Claude Bernard and Antoine Bechamp.

Pasteur theorized that the cause of diseases was exposure to microbes (germs) invading the body and its systems. This theory is the basis for pasteurization, antibiotics, and most medical intervention as far as infection is concerned.

Bernard, on the other hand, theorized that just being exposed to a germ was not a significant factor. He believed that the state of the "milieu intériieur" (internal environment) is the main factor causing infection. In other words, host health is the determining factor as to whether a person will become ill.

What we see today with the COVID-19 pandemic is that some people get severely ill, while others display mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

Salas Family Chiropractic—2271 Cooper Foster Rd. Amherst, Ohio

photo by Jen Navarro

Why is this?

In 1991, there was a study conducted by Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D. and published in the New England Journal of Medicine that studied 394 individuals who had nasal drops administered that contained a slew of cold viruses and a coronavirus (not COVID-19). This study concluded that psychological stress posed an increased risk of acute infectious respiratory illness and increased rates of infection. They found that the main factor that allows people to become sick or recover quickly is stress.

Therefore, high levels of stress hormones in the body can be associated with immunocompromised responses in the body. There is an article written by the associate editor of the Journal of American Osteopathic Association, Dr. Michael Patterson, Ph.D., titled, "Osteopathic Methods and the Great Flu Pandemic of 1917-1918." It outlines how medically-treated patients with influenza and pneumonia had an average of a six percent fatality rate. In contrast, patients having received treatment in the form of manipulative therapy, rest, and hydration had a death rate of only 0.5 percent.

Why is this important?

Remember, the Cohen study indicated that stress is a high contributing factor to reduced immune response. With what is going on in the world today, how can anyone lower stress levels?

Even before these events, we lived in a nonstop, highstress environment. Fortunately, chiropractic manipulation is known to increase blood flow and reduce stress hormone levels in the body over time.

There is no guarantee that routine chiropractic adjustments will help your health or prevent or cure any disease or infection. But, because of how chiropractic care can affect hormones that influence stress levels, it should be utilized along with any medically necessary care.

Especially now, stay well! Keep up with social distancing, wear masks and gloves, and follow all of the current guidelines recommended by our local health department.

Please remember to eat properly, exercise, and get adjusted. Most of all, be safe!

Dr. Sam Salas, DC, Chiropractic Physician