| p>It was about a year ago now that I wrote my | | | | What we use CRP for most often is to see if |
| most popular article on CRP and cancer. CRP, | | | | there is cancer present. For men, that is mostly |
| for those that don't know is a blood test that | | | | prostrate cancer. You can't have prostrate |
| measures the amount of protein (called | | | | cancer and have low CRP levels. Another |
| C-Reactive Protein) in your blood. What this test | | | | common one is IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. |
| does is measure the specific level of inflammatory | | | | With IBS, the bowels are painfully swollen and |
| response your body manifests at a given point in | | | | often bleed. |
| time. The test, by today's standards, is fairly | | | | I use the CRP and a related once called HS-CRP |
| simple. | | | | (High Sensitivity CRP) to indicate my inflammatory |
| What doctors know for sure is the high levels of | | | | responses. This is such a useful tool, I can't over |
| CRP are mostly caused by infections and | | | | emphasize it's importance. The bottom line on |
| irritations, as well as many chronic diseases. | | | | inflammation is that it can damage your arteries |
| These risk factors will pretty much always cause | | | | and make you much more likely to have a heart |
| inflammation in your body. So the test is quite | | | | attack or a stroke. Just knowing that you have |
| straight forward. It's as if every time you get | | | | high levels of CRP will pretty much force you to |
| whacked in the head, and there is a guy standing | | | | take action. |
| near you in a yellow jacket. Before long, one | | | | The methodology for reducing inflammation in the |
| can predict that you are going to get whacked in | | | | body is no longer a secret. Find out all you can |
| the head simply because there is a guy in a | | | | about high alkaline diets and start drinking high |
| yellow jacket standing near you. Ok - that may | | | | alkaline water right away. If you are suffering |
| be a bit of an over-simplification, but you get the | | | | from IBS, arthritis, osteoporosis, polyps, chronic |
| picture. | | | | fatigue, heart arrhythmia and a wide range of |
| The real problem with CRP testing is that it tells | | | | related diseases, then the chances are high that |
| you that there are problems, but you don't know | | | | you have chronic acidosis. And it is comforting |
| where the problems are. That would be like | | | | to know that you don't have to live this way. |
| having a light flash on our car's dashboard that | | | | You can actually do something about it. But it |
| says, "your car is broken". A lot of good that | | | | requires "you" to take action. |
| would do! | | | | |