C-reactive protein (CRP): The simple blood test that could save your life

You probably know your blood pressure, and whether your cholesterol is high, low, or normal. But what about your C-reactive protein (CRP)?

Heart Inflammation

Short for C-reactive protein, CRP is a general indicator of inflammation within the body—a condition that can contribute to a host of serious ailments.

“Chronic inflammation can do serious damage to the arterial walls”

“Chronic inflammation can do serious damage to the arterial walls,” says Michael Roizen, MD, YOU Doc and best-selling author. ”Chronic inflammation causes swelling and reduction in the diameter of the arteries that can lead to blood clots and accelerate the buildup of plaque and subsequent atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.”

According to the American Heart Association, people with high CRP are twice as likely to suffer cardiac arrest as those with low levels. “This makes C-reactive Protein the most important cardiovascular risk factor we have for men and women over age 50—a more important factor than age, family history, blood pressure, cholesterol, and whether you smoke,” says Roizen.

Understanding your CRP levels is good for a lot of things…

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“What’s your CRP?” – Take the CRP Challenge

In studies involving large numbers of patients, CRP levels seem to be correlated with levels of heart disease risk. In fact, CRP seems to predict cardiovascular risk at least as well as cholesterol levels do. Data from the Physicians Health Study, a clinical trial involving 18,000 apparently healthy doctors, found that elevated levels of CRP were associated with a threefold increase in the risk of heart attack.

Purified Omega 7 helps cool the fire

“We have seen significant reduction in CRP across the board–an average of 67% in one month”

Purified Omega 7 has been clinically shown to reduce C-reactive protein (CRP), which measures chronic inflammation — the best predictor of heart disease. As Luis Martinez, MD, a Board Certified Clinical Lipidologist who has been using Purified Omega 7 in his practice says: “We have seen significant reduction in CRP across the board–an average of 67% in one month. Purified Omega 7 has become a staple in my practice.”

Take the CRP Challenge today

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How inflammation and bad cholesterol lead to coronary heart disease

With so much focus on cholesterol, it’s easy to forget that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, a silent killer, that strikes young and old, male, and female, fit and unfit, in the prime of life and peak of health.

To better understand your heart health, you need more than a simple stress test, EKG, or lipid profile…. it’s important to look at the inflammatory markers as well, specifically C-Rreactive Proteins (CRPs are a measure of inflammation in the body).

Bad cholesterol can build up “inside” your arterial walls

When many people think of atherosclerosis, they think of bad cholesterol accumulating to form plaque on the walls of the arteries themselves. But your arteries are a porous membrane, and if there is inflammation (which can be caused by saturated fats, particularly palmitic acid, which is a favorite of the food industry because it’s inexpensive, tasty, and stable), the low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) are able to enter inside the arterial membranes themselves, and build up inside the arterial walls.

“ Low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) build up inside the arterial walls. ”

Many people think of plaque building on walls of the arteries themselves. Yet your arteries are a porous membrane, and this video shows how Low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) build up inside the arterial walls.

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Purified Omega 7: “Just a little does a whole lot”

In this 4-minute video, Dr. Michael F. Roizen, Chairman of the Wellness Institute of The Cleveland Clinic, talks about atherosclerosis and heart disease, its causes and consequences: heart attack, stroke, memory loss, impotence, and wrinkling.

Dr. Roizen shares how purified Omega 7 (palmitoleic acid) can potentially help in the fight against diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and atherosclerosis. This is exciting news because Purified Omega 7 “antagonizes” all three because it has been shown to decrease insulin resistance, decrease hepatic fat accumulation, and decrease acute and chronic inflammation - with no side effects.

“This could have a huge benefit for our populations as a whole”

To conclude, Dr. Roizen puts purified Omega 7 into perspective: “This could have a huge benefit for our populations as a whole because metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and diabetes are big things we need to tackle for us to be more competitive for jobs, and the United States to be more competitive as a society.”

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The Napalm Connection to the Inflammation in Your Body

If you only knew what’s lurking inside the foods you’re eating (you probably wouldn’t eat them). Or at the very least, you’d be equally mindful of what you leave out of your diet as what you put in it.

What to leave in, what to leave out

Many experts now recognize inflammation as a key factor in many human ailments, especially those associated with the metabolic syndrome, which consists of the triad of insulin resistance, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

The word “napalm” is derived from the words naphthenic acid and palmitic acid

 

One of the biggest culprits we unwittingly consume whenever we eat foods with saturated fats is a fatty acid called “Palmitic Acid”.

“ First, do no harm”

While there have been many treatments designed to lessen the harmful effects of inflammation in the body, perhaps the best advice to follow is that of Hippocrates that says:   First, do no harm, and avoid or consume in moderation the foods that contribute to inflammation.

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What the new warning labels on statins mean (and 4 natural alternatives)

An Alternative to Statins to Lower Cholesterol

“We all need cholesterol.”

It plays a crucial role in the production of acids needed to break down fats and digest food. The problem is, too many of us get too much of a good thing.

In the last twenty years, statin drugs have been prescribed for high cholesterol. Formerly hailed as the wonder drugs of the 21st century, statins slow down the production of cholesterol and increase the liver’s ability to remove LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol.

The new warning labels on statins

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A Good Fat? That helps you lose weight? For real?

It is common knowledge in the scientific community that adipose tissue (commonly known as body fat) produces hormones. Leptin, for example, which regulates weight gain.

A breakthrough discovery

Omega 7 Palmitoleic Acid

The thin mouse was administered Palmitoleic Acid

In the fall of 2008, the journal “Cell” reported the discovery of a new type of adipose hormone. What was unusual about this one is that it is a “lipokine“, a  new class of hormone that is not a steroid or protein–but a fatty acid.

The newly discovered liopkine is called C16:1n7-palmitoleate. It is a particular version of a sixteen-carbon chain derived from the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) palmitoleic acid.

The positive health benefits of monounsaturated fats… [Read more...]

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