LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

hsCRP

Is That Wonder Bread with Whole Grains Good for Me?

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Ok, so this is the perfect example of marketing taking a good idea and messing it all completely up.

Refined carbs, as I have written about many times in the past, are when you take the whole grain and lop off about 2/3 of the grain, removing 90% of the nutrients and leaving all the calories.  So, while “enriched wheat flour” sounds like it might be a healthy thing (isn’t “enriched” a good thing??), if it is on the label, it’s off the list.

Just because something says “made with whole grains” on the front of the package does NOT mean it’s now a health food because you added a gram or two of whole grains into a pound of crap.

In this particular article, to further reinforce the idea that whole grains are the only option, researchers found that whole grains actually lowered levels of hsCRP, a marker of inflammation in the body.  Less inflammation = less chronic disease.  Pretty simple equation.

EFFECT OF A HIGH FIBER DIET VS A FIBER SUPPLEMENTED DIET ON CRP LEVEL – (11-05-07)

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Effect of a High-Fiber Diet vs a Fiber-Supplemented Diet on C-Reactive Protein Level

Once it was realized that hsCRP as a marker of inflammation was related to a variety of chronic diseases, the hunt was on to find a drug to lower the level of CRP. While this approach is definitely not new and is more the norm, I’ll never understand the motivation when natural approaches already work. We already know that exercise and higher intakes of omega-3 fatty acids help to lower hsCRP, but now we can add fiber to the list.

And while the study looked at dietary as well as supplemental, the goal is to attain 30 g /day from diet alone; at this level of fiber it will come along bearing many other gifts in the form of phytonutrients.

Read entire article here

INFLAMMATION IMPAIRS REVERSE CHOLESTEROL TRANSPORT

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With the focus on what we can do to prevent heart disease entirely centered around a drug standpoint, no one seems to care that a large chunk of those with heart disease have normal cholesterol.  But inflammation is a major player in heart and stroke risk, which is evidenced by hsCRP levels.

This particular study finds that inflammation effects the way our bodies process cholesterol, leading to increased risk despite normal cholesterol levels.  Great ways to lower inflammation include higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids, exercise, stress management and a healthier diet.

Read entire article here

WHY DO PEOPLE WITH “NORMAL” CHOLESTEROL STILL HAVE HEART ATTACKS?

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WHY DO PEOPLE WITH “NORMAL” CHOLESTEROL STILL HAVE HEART ATTACKS?  Had a patient come in yesterday who has always had good cholesterol numbers but recently had a stent put in due to 70% blockage in one of his coronary arteries.  His cardiologist told him it was just genetic.  We had a conversation about making sure his cardiologist checked other factors like homocysteine, hsCRP and Lp(a).  I would not be surprised if they haven’t been checked.  Frustrating.  NEVER accept that “it’s just genetic.”  That is the biggest cop out in medicine today.

This study alone finds a massive increase in risk of heart attack (more than triple the risk) in women with higher homocysteine levels.  The sad thing is that homocysteine can be easily lowered with supplementation of B12, folic acid and B6.  If you have a family history of heart disease and normal cholesterol and your doctor has not checked some of the above factors, force the issue with your PCP and find a new one if they refuse to check them.

Read entire article here.

INTERESTED IN PROTECTING THE WHITE MATTER OF YOUR BRAIN?

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INTERESTED IN PROTECTING THE WHITE MATTER OF YOUR BRAIN?  If you’re reading this, the answer is probably yes.  Don’t know about all of you, but I want my brain (and body, for that matter) to last as long as I want it to.  The rates of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s continue to go up, but this is NOT a genetic disease.  It is absolutely a disease of lifestyle.  Unfortunately, I do not feel that it is possible to stop the disease once it has progressed far enough to be picked up clinically.  The chance for prevention, however, is very, very strong.

Yet another study linking inflammation (in this study as measured by hsCRP) and loss of white matter in the brain and loss of cognitive function.  To lower inflammation, increase your intake of healthy fats, use omega-3 supplements, avoid intake of refined carbs and hydrogenated oils, reduce stress and exercise consistently.

WHICH DISEASE HAS INFLAMMATION BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH?

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Feeling inflamed? Try B6… Inflammation has been associated with pretty much every chronic disease you can think of, but most notably heart disease.  Mainstream medicine has been slow to adopt the concept of hsCRP as a marker of inflammation and a risk for heart disease, despite quite a few years and quite a few studies.

Part of this may be because there has been no drug that has been shown to effectively lower hsCRP levels.  As the relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease has been decimated, there have been some desperate attempts to find a better use for the multi billion dollar statin class of drugs.

However, the studies show that it’s pretty weak at lowering hsCRP.  But who needs a drug when B6 can do it along w/ fish oils, exercise and stress management?