CRP Blood Test -C Reactive Protein Test
The CRP blood test, or C Reactive Protein test, is one of the four essential blood tests in determining your risk for developing heart disease. It is very important that you have a CRP test as well as the three other tests listed to determine what steps you must take to prevent heart conditions from developing further.
The CRP blood test is relatively new and its significance has been the topic of much recent discussion in the medical community. The CRP blood test analyzes your blood for the presence of substances called C Reactive Proteins. The C Reactive Proteins are indicators of inflammation in the blood.
Recent studies have shown that this marker is a very accurate predictor of future heart problems. Elevated levels of C Protein may also double your risk of a stroke. Therefore, it is crucial that you make sure you get a CRP blood test as part of your regular checkup to make sure that you do not have elevated levels in your bloodstream.
CRP Blood Test - C Reactive Protein Test
What should your C Reactive Protein levels be?
The normal level of C Reactive Protein in your blood should be up to 4.9mg/L (4.9 milligrams per liter). This is level of C Reactive Protein in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of C Reactive Protein in your blood would be under 2mg/L.
CRP abnormal test results could be an indication of inflammation in the blood, and you should take steps to lower your C Reactive Protein levels to prevent heart disease occurring.
Make sure you get a CRP Blood Test as part of your next visit to the doctor, or on your own at a licensed medical facility. A CRP Blood Test, along with the three other blood tests listed here, will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
You might want to consider adding CTR Support by Physiologics and Nattokinaise by VRP to your daily regime. Both of these products are available through Doc's Vitamins at 1-800-326-5838.
Homocysteine and Heart Disease
High homocysteine levels can be dangerous to your
health.
The relationship between increased homocysteine and heart disease is well established in the medical community. Yet unlike the other three predictors of heart disease, i.e. cholesterol, triglycerides and C Reactive Protein, homocysteine levels are influenced by what you DON'T eat rather than whit you do eat. Approximately 10% of coronary deaths can be attributed to high levels of homocysteine in the blood.
What is homocysteine?
Homocysteine is an abnormal protein that is created when a specific amino acid called methionine is metabolized. In most people homocysteine is quickly cleared out of the arteries and therefore does not create a problem. However, for some people homocysteine is not efficiently cleared out and can pose significant health risks.
What causes elevated homocysteine levels in the blood?
Studies have shown that high levels of homocysteine are caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet, particularly the B group of vitamins. Without these essential vitamins your body is unable to produce the enzymes necessary to remove homocysteine efficiently from your blood. Homocysteine will cause damage to your arteries when present in high concentrations - hence the link between homocysteine and heart disease.
How can you treat homocysteine and lower your risk?
A lack of B Vitamins leads to elevated homocysteine levels which is why high homocysteine and vegetarian diets are directly related. Fortunately the situation is easily treatable. In the late 60's Dr. Kilmer McCully determined through extensive research that taking adequate amounts of folic acid (vitamin B9), along with vitamins B6 and B12 your levels of homocysteine will normalize. These vitamins are found in Homocysteine Factors from Pure Encapsulations, which we carry.
What should your homocysteine levels be?
The normal level of homocysteine in your blood should be up to 15 micro mol/L. This is level of homocysteine in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of homocysteine in your blood would be under 7 micro mol/L.
Make sure you get a homocysteine test as part of your next visit to the doctor, or on your own at a licensed medical facility. A homocysteine test along with the three other blood tests listed here, will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
Lowering Triglycerides
How to Lower Triglycerides
Lowering triglycerides is an important part of reducing your risk of developing heart disease. High levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream are a precursor to coronary blockage, and as such you should learn how to lower your triglycerides to avoid serious heart problems.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a scientific term for fatty deposits stored in your body. Following is a brief explanation of how they are formed:
Your body transforms the carbohydrates you eat into glucose to be used for energy by your cells. Once the cells have what they need, the excess glucose is sent back to your liver and converted to glycogen. Once you've reached your capacity of glycogen, excess glycogen is sent back to your liver again, where it becomes triglycerides. which are stored as fat. Your body has endless storage space for this fat, as we all know.
Now some of these triglycerides are not stored as fat, but remain in your blood stream, which is where the problem lies. Excess levels of triglycerides thicken your blood, making it sludgy, which increases the possibility of clotting and blockage which could eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. This why it is so important to keep your triglyceride levels as low as possible.
How do you keep triglycerides down?
Many doctors focus too much on cholesterol, and not enough on triglycerides. However, if you have high cholesterol AND high triglycerides, your chances of developing heart disease go up exponentially. As such, both indicators must be heeded.
As we mentioned above, triglyceride levels are directly influenced by what you eat. Anything that increases blood glucose will potentially increase triglycerides, so you should lower your intake of anything that is converted to glucose in the body.
The most important step to take is to lower your carbohydrate intake. All of the most popular diets today - Atkins, South Beach, Zone etc. are all based on a low carbohydrate diet, because it is an increase in carbs that triggers the conversion of glucose to triglycerides (fats).
The low carbohydrate diet is being recommended by more and more doctors and nutritionists as science is proving the carbohydrate fat relationship outlined above.
To achieve optimal results, Dr. Bittiker recommends the Pale diet. You may find more information on this diet at www.thepaleodiet.com.
Excess sugar should also be avoided, as it is converted to glucose and in turn to triglycerides much the same way as carbohydrates are.
If triglycerides are essentially fat, shouldn't you avoid fat in your diet too?
In a word, NO! Natural animal fats found in eggs and butter are actually necessary - your body needs dietary fats to perform many functions. You should however avoid the bad kinds of fat - trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in margarine, processed and refined foods and fast food. These trans fats are chemically altered substances, and as such your body does not know how to handle them properly. They are foreign to the body and therefore dangerous to your health.
So, in summary, following a no-fat diet is dangerous. Your body needs good fat in certain quantities each and every day. What you want to avoid is the bad fats, the trans and hydrogenated fats and oils which are artificially processed to make foods last longer. (That's why that fast food burger that's been sitting there for weeks tastes fresh!)
Lowering Triglycerides - Get your triglyceride levels checked
Make sure you get your triglyceride levels checked as part of your next blood test. Whether or not your triglyceride levels are high, you should do your part to keep levels down.
The normal level of triglycerides in your blood should be up to 199mg/dL. This is level of triglycerides in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of triglycerides in your blood would be under 100mg/dL.
A triglyceride test along with the three other blood tests listed will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease
The LDL cholesterol heart disease link is one of the most significant and well documented of all risk indicators. High cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries, which could eventually result in a heart attack or stroke.
FACT: Most people are unaware that only 20% of your cholesterol comes from your diet...the other 80% is manufactured by your liver.
What is cholesterol and is it all bad?
Cholesterol is a necessary component for your body's health. It is essentially a non soluble waxy substance which your body uses to make hormones, cell walls and nerve sheaths. There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol, as outlined below.
What's the difference between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) is the bad or oxidized form. LDL cholesterol attaches itself to artery walls, creating plaque that can build up and eventually block your arteries, which could result in a heart, or stroke. You want your LDL cholesterol levels to be as low as possible.
HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) is the good form. HDL cholesterol travels around in your bloodstream, picks up excess LDL cholesterol and brings it back to your liver to be reprocessed. Therefore, HDL cholesterol is cleaning out your body. You want your HDL cholesterol levels to be as high as possible.
What is the ideal HDL LDL ratio in the bloodstream?
Your total cholesterol is an important figure, but even more important is the ratio of LDL (bad) cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol. Following are the normal and optimal levels of cholesterol levels:
Total Cholesterol - Normal Levels: up to 199 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Between 180-220mg/dL
LDL Cholesterol - Normal Levels: up to 129 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Under 100 mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol - Normal Levels: no lower than 35 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Over 50 mg/dL.
Some of the products Dr. B recommends for lowering cholesterol include Profibe by Cerburg, Cholesteraol Support by Now Foods, and Lipicontrol by VRP.
Summary: For optimal health, you should keep your LDL cholesterol down and keep you HDL cholesterol up!
Healthy Heart Diet
In order to maintain your heart health, it is important to follow a healthy heart diet. There are many different foods that you should avoid or limit, and still-other foods and nutrients that you should try to include as much as possible.
Changing your eating habits can significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease.
What should you avoid or decrease intake of to lower risk of heart disease?
You should try to stay away from the trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in processed and refined foods. Margarine and spreads have trans fats, as do fried and fast foods. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are chemically altered, and as such the body is not able to process them and they can be dangerous.
Also, try to reduce your sugar intake from snacks, cakes, candy bars, etc. as these sugars eventually become fat buildup in the body. Also, try to keep your carbohydrate intake at a minimum (pasta, potatoes, breads) as excess carbohydrates stimulate the production of triglycerides (fat) which are one of the four indicators of heart disease.
What should I add to my diet to keep my heart and cardiovascular system in healthy working order?
A heart health diet should include fiber, fruits and vegetables. Green, leafy vegetables and Vitamin C rich fruits are the best, as they can protect you against heart disease with their antioxidant abilities.
Healthy heart recipes should include extra virgin olive oil and garlic - both have been shown to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Add Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet, especially DHA and EPA found in fish oil. These two important Omega 3 fatty acids are the most therapeutic, and can significantly decrease bad cholesterol(LDL) as well as raise good cholesterol(HDL).
Can I get all of these healthy heart nutrients from my diet?
Unfortunately with today's processing methods, most of the important nutrients in the foods we eat are depleted or removed altogether. So unless you follow a strict healthy heart diet of organic foods harvested in the finest environments which are delivered fresh to your door daily, it makes sense to supplement all of the important nutrients your body needs to function properly.
Dr. B's basic program:
Multi vitamin
Mineral complex
Vitamin C
Omega 3
Vitamin E
Digestive enzymes
Check out Susie's (Your Fresh Chef) page under the finance and health section of this web site for recipes and food tips.
The CRP blood test, or C Reactive Protein test, is one of the four essential blood tests in determining your risk for developing heart disease. It is very important that you have a CRP test as well as the three other tests listed to determine what steps you must take to prevent heart conditions from developing further.
The CRP blood test is relatively new and its significance has been the topic of much recent discussion in the medical community. The CRP blood test analyzes your blood for the presence of substances called C Reactive Proteins. The C Reactive Proteins are indicators of inflammation in the blood.
Recent studies have shown that this marker is a very accurate predictor of future heart problems. Elevated levels of C Protein may also double your risk of a stroke. Therefore, it is crucial that you make sure you get a CRP blood test as part of your regular checkup to make sure that you do not have elevated levels in your bloodstream.
CRP Blood Test - C Reactive Protein Test
What should your C Reactive Protein levels be?
The normal level of C Reactive Protein in your blood should be up to 4.9mg/L (4.9 milligrams per liter). This is level of C Reactive Protein in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of C Reactive Protein in your blood would be under 2mg/L.
CRP abnormal test results could be an indication of inflammation in the blood, and you should take steps to lower your C Reactive Protein levels to prevent heart disease occurring.
Make sure you get a CRP Blood Test as part of your next visit to the doctor, or on your own at a licensed medical facility. A CRP Blood Test, along with the three other blood tests listed here, will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
You might want to consider adding CTR Support by Physiologics and Nattokinaise by VRP to your daily regime. Both of these products are available through Doc's Vitamins at 1-800-326-5838.
Homocysteine and Heart Disease
High homocysteine levels can be dangerous to your
health.
The relationship between increased homocysteine and heart disease is well established in the medical community. Yet unlike the other three predictors of heart disease, i.e. cholesterol, triglycerides and C Reactive Protein, homocysteine levels are influenced by what you DON'T eat rather than whit you do eat. Approximately 10% of coronary deaths can be attributed to high levels of homocysteine in the blood.
What is homocysteine?
Homocysteine is an abnormal protein that is created when a specific amino acid called methionine is metabolized. In most people homocysteine is quickly cleared out of the arteries and therefore does not create a problem. However, for some people homocysteine is not efficiently cleared out and can pose significant health risks.
What causes elevated homocysteine levels in the blood?
Studies have shown that high levels of homocysteine are caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet, particularly the B group of vitamins. Without these essential vitamins your body is unable to produce the enzymes necessary to remove homocysteine efficiently from your blood. Homocysteine will cause damage to your arteries when present in high concentrations - hence the link between homocysteine and heart disease.
How can you treat homocysteine and lower your risk?
A lack of B Vitamins leads to elevated homocysteine levels which is why high homocysteine and vegetarian diets are directly related. Fortunately the situation is easily treatable. In the late 60's Dr. Kilmer McCully determined through extensive research that taking adequate amounts of folic acid (vitamin B9), along with vitamins B6 and B12 your levels of homocysteine will normalize. These vitamins are found in Homocysteine Factors from Pure Encapsulations, which we carry.
What should your homocysteine levels be?
The normal level of homocysteine in your blood should be up to 15 micro mol/L. This is level of homocysteine in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of homocysteine in your blood would be under 7 micro mol/L.
Make sure you get a homocysteine test as part of your next visit to the doctor, or on your own at a licensed medical facility. A homocysteine test along with the three other blood tests listed here, will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
Lowering Triglycerides
How to Lower Triglycerides
Lowering triglycerides is an important part of reducing your risk of developing heart disease. High levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream are a precursor to coronary blockage, and as such you should learn how to lower your triglycerides to avoid serious heart problems.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a scientific term for fatty deposits stored in your body. Following is a brief explanation of how they are formed:
Your body transforms the carbohydrates you eat into glucose to be used for energy by your cells. Once the cells have what they need, the excess glucose is sent back to your liver and converted to glycogen. Once you've reached your capacity of glycogen, excess glycogen is sent back to your liver again, where it becomes triglycerides. which are stored as fat. Your body has endless storage space for this fat, as we all know.
Now some of these triglycerides are not stored as fat, but remain in your blood stream, which is where the problem lies. Excess levels of triglycerides thicken your blood, making it sludgy, which increases the possibility of clotting and blockage which could eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. This why it is so important to keep your triglyceride levels as low as possible.
How do you keep triglycerides down?
Many doctors focus too much on cholesterol, and not enough on triglycerides. However, if you have high cholesterol AND high triglycerides, your chances of developing heart disease go up exponentially. As such, both indicators must be heeded.
As we mentioned above, triglyceride levels are directly influenced by what you eat. Anything that increases blood glucose will potentially increase triglycerides, so you should lower your intake of anything that is converted to glucose in the body.
The most important step to take is to lower your carbohydrate intake. All of the most popular diets today - Atkins, South Beach, Zone etc. are all based on a low carbohydrate diet, because it is an increase in carbs that triggers the conversion of glucose to triglycerides (fats).
The low carbohydrate diet is being recommended by more and more doctors and nutritionists as science is proving the carbohydrate fat relationship outlined above.
To achieve optimal results, Dr. Bittiker recommends the Pale diet. You may find more information on this diet at www.thepaleodiet.com.
Excess sugar should also be avoided, as it is converted to glucose and in turn to triglycerides much the same way as carbohydrates are.
If triglycerides are essentially fat, shouldn't you avoid fat in your diet too?
In a word, NO! Natural animal fats found in eggs and butter are actually necessary - your body needs dietary fats to perform many functions. You should however avoid the bad kinds of fat - trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in margarine, processed and refined foods and fast food. These trans fats are chemically altered substances, and as such your body does not know how to handle them properly. They are foreign to the body and therefore dangerous to your health.
So, in summary, following a no-fat diet is dangerous. Your body needs good fat in certain quantities each and every day. What you want to avoid is the bad fats, the trans and hydrogenated fats and oils which are artificially processed to make foods last longer. (That's why that fast food burger that's been sitting there for weeks tastes fresh!)
Lowering Triglycerides - Get your triglyceride levels checked
Make sure you get your triglyceride levels checked as part of your next blood test. Whether or not your triglyceride levels are high, you should do your part to keep levels down.
The normal level of triglycerides in your blood should be up to 199mg/dL. This is level of triglycerides in the average healthy person.
The optimal level of triglycerides in your blood would be under 100mg/dL.
A triglyceride test along with the three other blood tests listed will indicate whether or not you are at risk of developing heart disease.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease
The LDL cholesterol heart disease link is one of the most significant and well documented of all risk indicators. High cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries, which could eventually result in a heart attack or stroke.
FACT: Most people are unaware that only 20% of your cholesterol comes from your diet...the other 80% is manufactured by your liver.
What is cholesterol and is it all bad?
Cholesterol is a necessary component for your body's health. It is essentially a non soluble waxy substance which your body uses to make hormones, cell walls and nerve sheaths. There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol, as outlined below.
What's the difference between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) is the bad or oxidized form. LDL cholesterol attaches itself to artery walls, creating plaque that can build up and eventually block your arteries, which could result in a heart, or stroke. You want your LDL cholesterol levels to be as low as possible.
HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) is the good form. HDL cholesterol travels around in your bloodstream, picks up excess LDL cholesterol and brings it back to your liver to be reprocessed. Therefore, HDL cholesterol is cleaning out your body. You want your HDL cholesterol levels to be as high as possible.
What is the ideal HDL LDL ratio in the bloodstream?
Your total cholesterol is an important figure, but even more important is the ratio of LDL (bad) cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol. Following are the normal and optimal levels of cholesterol levels:
Total Cholesterol - Normal Levels: up to 199 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Between 180-220mg/dL
LDL Cholesterol - Normal Levels: up to 129 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Under 100 mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol - Normal Levels: no lower than 35 mg/dL
Optimal Levels: Over 50 mg/dL.
Some of the products Dr. B recommends for lowering cholesterol include Profibe by Cerburg, Cholesteraol Support by Now Foods, and Lipicontrol by VRP.
Summary: For optimal health, you should keep your LDL cholesterol down and keep you HDL cholesterol up!
Healthy Heart Diet
In order to maintain your heart health, it is important to follow a healthy heart diet. There are many different foods that you should avoid or limit, and still-other foods and nutrients that you should try to include as much as possible.
Changing your eating habits can significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease.
What should you avoid or decrease intake of to lower risk of heart disease?
You should try to stay away from the trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in processed and refined foods. Margarine and spreads have trans fats, as do fried and fast foods. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are chemically altered, and as such the body is not able to process them and they can be dangerous.
Also, try to reduce your sugar intake from snacks, cakes, candy bars, etc. as these sugars eventually become fat buildup in the body. Also, try to keep your carbohydrate intake at a minimum (pasta, potatoes, breads) as excess carbohydrates stimulate the production of triglycerides (fat) which are one of the four indicators of heart disease.
What should I add to my diet to keep my heart and cardiovascular system in healthy working order?
A heart health diet should include fiber, fruits and vegetables. Green, leafy vegetables and Vitamin C rich fruits are the best, as they can protect you against heart disease with their antioxidant abilities.
Healthy heart recipes should include extra virgin olive oil and garlic - both have been shown to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Add Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet, especially DHA and EPA found in fish oil. These two important Omega 3 fatty acids are the most therapeutic, and can significantly decrease bad cholesterol(LDL) as well as raise good cholesterol(HDL).
Can I get all of these healthy heart nutrients from my diet?
Unfortunately with today's processing methods, most of the important nutrients in the foods we eat are depleted or removed altogether. So unless you follow a strict healthy heart diet of organic foods harvested in the finest environments which are delivered fresh to your door daily, it makes sense to supplement all of the important nutrients your body needs to function properly.
Dr. B's basic program:
Multi vitamin
Mineral complex
Vitamin C
Omega 3
Vitamin E
Digestive enzymes
Check out Susie's (Your Fresh Chef) page under the finance and health section of this web site for recipes and food tips.
