CRP -- redcued by plain old vitamin C supplements

[Guest guest]

Many nutrients can have measureable effects reducing barometers of

cellular inflammation and overall health. I've been watching my CRP

for many years because of its implications in disease and damage to

and loss of cells that is part of aging. More recently CRP is being

focused on by mainstream medicine as a barometer to watch for

cardiovascular health. A number of dietary supplement nutrients and

nutrients found in healthy foods can reduce CRP, meaning they would

help keep cells healthy, which portends longer, healthier life.

Vitamin C is but one of the several nutrients.

Mooney

www.michaelmooney.net

www.medibolics.com

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Vitamin C Helps with C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Levels

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, November 17, 2008, abstracted from Vitamin C

treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein printed online in Free

Radical Biology and Medicine

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects nearly 81 million Americans1 and

is estimated to cost our healthcare system $448.5 billion in 20082.

Research has continually pointed to inflammation as a significant

contributor to CVD3. Levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) help predict

overall cardiovascular disease risk, as well as heart attack, stroke,

and peripheral arterial disease.

CRP blood levels indicate cardiovascular disease risk as follows:

CRP levels lower than 1.0 mg/L = low risk for cardiovascular disease

CRP levels between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L = average risk

CRP levels higher than 3.0 mg/L = high risk4

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to help maintain heart health

including fiber5, vitamin E6, folic acid7, chocolate8, vitamin D9,

zinc10, vitamin K11, whole grains12, coenzyme Q1013, olive oil14, and

green tea15. Now a new study16 has found that vitamin C, known to

help stabilize heartbeats17 and maintain healthy cholesterol levels18

may help with CRP levels.

In the study, 385 non-smoking patients with no evidence of disease

were given either 1000 mg per day of vitamin C, 800 IU per day of

vitamin E, or placebo for two months. During this time, they provided

blood samples to measure CRP levels. No benefits were seen in any

group in patients with CRP levels lower than 1.0 mg/L. But for

patients with CRP levels higher than1.0 mg/L, the following results

were found by the end of the study:

CRP levels increased by 8.57% in the placebo group

CRP levels decreased by 6.8% in the vitamin E group

CRP levels decreased by 16.7% (an average drop by 0.25 mg/L) in the

vitamin C group.

For the researchers, ¡°this study has found a significant effect of

treatment for 2 months with 1000 mg/day vitamin C on plasma CRP, in

non-diseased moderately overweight non-smokers with baseline CRP ¡Ý1.0

mg/L.¡±

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA.

You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at

mailto:PitchingDoc@... or visiting his web site at

www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 Cardiovascular Disease Statistics¡± posted on

www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4478

2 ¡°Cardiovascular Disease Cost¡± posted on 2.

www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4475

3 Libby, P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis. Nature 420:868¨C874; 2002

4 Pearson TA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American

Heart Association. Markers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

Application to clinical and public health practice: a statement for

healthcare professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and the American Heart Association. Circulation

107:499¨C511; 2003

5 Lairon D. Dietary fiber intake and risk factors for cardiovascular

disease in French adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82 1185-1194

6 Das S. Cardioprotection with palm oil tocotrienols: comparision of

different isomers. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2008; 294:H970-H978

7 Wang X. Efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke

prevention: a meta-analysis. The Lancet 2007; 369(9576):1876-1882

8 Ding EL. Chocolate and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A

Systematic Review Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006; 3: 2

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10 Mac R. Zinc Deficiency Increases Plasma Lipids and

Atherosclerotic Markers in LDL-Receptor-Deficient Mice. J Nutr. 2005

Sep;135(9):2114-8

11 Beulens JWJ. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with

reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis 2008. In Press,

Corrected Proof, Available online 19 July 2008

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in a multiethnic cohort: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study.

Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85(6): 1495-1502

13 Wisloff, U., S. M. Najjar, et al. (2005). " Cardiovascular risk

factors emerge after artificial selection for low aerobic capacity. "

Science 307(5708): 418-20

14 Gonza¨¬lez-Correa JA. Effects of Hydroxytyrosol and

Hydroxytyrosol Acetate Administration to Rats on Platelet Function

Compared to Acetylsalicylic Acid. Jou Agric. Food Chem., 56 (17),

7872¨C7876, 2008. 10.1021/jf801502z

15 Tsuji I, Nishino Y, Ohkubo T, et al. A prospective cohort study on

National Health Insurance beneficiaries in Ohsaki, Miyagi Prefecture,

Japan: study design, profiles of the subjects and medical cost during

the first year. J Epidemiol. 1998;8:258-263

16 Block G. Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein,

Free Radic. Biol. Med. (2008), doi:10.1016/j. freeradbiomed.2008.09.030

17 Korantzopoulos, P., T. M. Kolettis, et al. (2005). " Oral vitamin C

administration reduces early recurrence rates after electrical

cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation and attenuates

associated inflammation. " Int J Cardiol 102(2): 321-6

18 McRae MP. Vitamin C supplementation lowers serum low-density

lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides: a meta-analysis of 13

randomized controlled trials. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2008;

7(2): 48-58