"We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes."
|
| |
Calcium for Weight Loss
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.Original URL (The Web version of the article) ------------ ...
Mercury Content in Fish
It's important to choose fish that's also going to improve your health as opposed to silently poisoning you. We all know that adding fish to our diets can help increase our body's ability to repair itself, as well as its ability to burn body fat ...
Weight Loss - Why Women Cannot Live On Soup Alone
One of the issues we face dieting is learning how to manage hunger. Whether its that mid afternoon slump, or mid morning cravings, being hungry for too long is a fast way to derail all our good intentions to turn over a new lettuce leaf. Different ...
|
|
|
|
| |
The drug companies know what they want you to think. They want you to think that the only reliable predictor for heart disease is an elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, and the best way to decrease your risk to take "statin" drugs such as Zocor and Lipitor. Cholesterol-reducing medications are among the highest-grossing pharmaceutical products ever, so drug companies want to lead you to their medications. But an elevated LDL-cholesterol level is not the only predictor of heart disease. It's not even the best predictor--that honor goes to a little known test that looks for elevated levels of C-reactive protein.
What is C-reactive protein?
C-reactive protein is produced by the body during times of inflammation. Doctors are not exactly sure why some people have elevated C reactive protein and others have normal levels, but they do know that high C reactive protein is linked to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and sudden cardiac death.
Traditional doctors agree that a test for C-reactive protein is a better measure of a person's risk for heart disease than cholesterol. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in November of 2002 that elevated C reactive protein predicts cardiovascular problems better than elevated LDL-cholesterol. The American Heart Association agrees.
How Is Elevated C Reactive Protein Determined?
The test to determine C-reactive protein levels is quite simple. A blood sample is taken, and the sample is analyzed in the laboratory. It's a test that's neither expensive nor invasive.
Even though doctors agree that C-reactive protein is such a powerful predictor for heart disease, the simple test is not often offered to patients. Why? They don't ask for it. Commercial advertising (supported by pharmaceutical companies who make money from lowering people's cholesterol levels) leads patients to ask their doctors to prescribe cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. They rarely ask about C-reactive protein tests and remedies because it's not a big-money business.
What Home Remedies Treat High C Reactive Protein?
Drug companies that sell statin drugs know that they could lose money if people start worrying more about their C-reactive protein levels than they do about their LDL-cholesterol levels. They are quick to point out that studies show that the same drugs used to lower cholesterol will also lower C-reactive protein. However, these drugs are both expensive and dangerous. Muscle reactions have left patients severely disfigured, and even physicians are questioning the wisdom and efficacy of widespread use of statin drugs.
Happily, natural healing offers many ways to keep C-reactive protein levels in the healthy range. These methods can be used to lower elevated C reactive protein, or to maintain good heart health. Even better, natural methods for reducing C-reactive protein have been proven by scientists to be as good as or better than drug therapy at combating C-reactive protein.
Diet--Healthnotes Newswire reported the conclusions of one study that showed that making several positive changes to one's diet could significantly reduce C-reactive protein levels. Adding plant sterols, insoluble fiber, soy protein, and almonds to the low-fat, vegetarian diets of test subjects helped reduce C-reactive protein levels by 28 percent more than a control group fed a low-fat, vegetarian diet.
Other studies have found links between increased consumption of whole grains and reduced C-reactive protein levels. These studies show that subjects who ate more simple carbohydrates had higher C reactive protein levels than subjects who ate more complex carbs.
Supplementation--Vitamin and mineral supplements have also shown to be an inexpensive, effective weapon against C-reactive protein.
Niacin--Niacin is a B-complex vitamin that works so well to lower cholesterol and C-reactive protein that it is regulated by the FDA and available by doctors in prescription strengths. Consumers can also buy high-quality B-complex vitamins, which have many other benefits, from any health food store.
Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin E--Supplementing with vitamin E will reduce your C-reactive protein levels and enhance your health. Scientists have recently proven that combining vitamin E supplementation with coenzyme Q10 is even more effective, and can reduce C-reactive protein levels by as much as 30 percent.
Conclusions
It's still a good idea to make the diet and lifestyle changes that will lower your LDL-cholesterol levels. Reducing your intake of trans and saturated fats will help you live a longer life. If you're concerned about your risk of coronary disease, though, focus on you C-reactive protein levels. Ask your doctor for a blood test to determine your level of C-reactive protein. If it's high, talk to your physician about using diet and exercise, along with nutritional supplementation, to lower your C-reactive protein levels and your risk of heart disease.
References
"Comparison of C-Reactive Protein and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in the Prediction of First Cardiovascular Events." Paul M. Ridker, M.D., Nader Rifai, Ph.D., Lynda Rose, M.S., Julie E. Buring, Sc.D., and Nancy R. Cook, Sc.D. The New England Journal of Medicine. 347:1557-1565, Nov. 11, 2002.
"Inflammation, Heart Disease and Stroke: The Role of C-Reactive Protein." http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4648 "Dietary Changes Can Reduce Cholesterol and C-Reactive Protein as Much as Medication." http://www.newhope.com/news.cfm?news=1355.
About the author:
Dan Ho is chief editor of both http://www.beat-your-health-condition.comand Nutritional Supplement Info Spotlight, which offers unconventional and unique solutions for common health issues. Claim your FREE subscription now at http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 For Gateway, thin laptops are not in - Computerworld
January 8, 2009 (Computerworld) While vendors such as Hewlett-Packard Co. , Dell Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd. are putting their latest laptops on crash diets, Gateway Inc. is boldly dismissing this as a fad. Today, Gateway introduced a pair of consumer ...
High-Fat Diet Converts Beneficial Gene Variant Into A 'Villian' - Med India
The results indicated that the 12 percent of people who carry the so-called Ala12 version of the gene that serves as a master controller of fat differentiation would be more sensitive than most to the amount of fat in their diets. The fat-moderating ...
Brits turning to nip n tuck to shed Christmas bulge - Thaindian.com
London, Jan 8 (ANI): An increasing number of Brits are ditching diets and going under the knife to get rid of their Christmas bulge. Plastic surgeons say that they have already seen a 40 percent rise this year. Apart from liposuction or tummy tucks ...
Low-carb diets may boost attention but blur memory - HealthCentral.com
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Low-carb diets may make people's short-term memory a little foggy, but they could improve people's ability to focus and pay attention, new research hints. The key to keeping one's smarts while dieting seems to be not to ...
HEALTH Q&A: Fad diets don't deliver like the diabetic diet - Beaumont Enterprise
1. Do diets like the Zone and Atkins really work or are they fads? There is no denying the fact that people who follow these diets do lose weight. However, the important part of losing weight is that you do it long-term. Studies have shown that ...
Is Your Local Supermarket to Blame for Your Unhealthy Diet? - Health and Age.com
Poor dietary patterns and obesity are established risk factors for chronic disease, and they have been linked to low-income, minority, and rural neighborhoods. In the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers ...
Budget-wise diabetic diets possible - United Press International
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Income uncertainty should not lead diabetics to wonder if they can afford diet and fitness, a U.S. educator says. Sue McLaughlin of the American Diabetes Association says it is easy to think, "Why bother making New ...
|
