High C-reactive protein: causes and how to lower it naturally
Perhaps you've heard someone say they have high C-reactive protein, or maybe your own doctor has ordered a test to check your own levels. It is a protein that is naturally produced by the liver and increases when the body suffers inflammation.
If you want to understand what high C-reactive protein is, what causes it and how to reduce its levels, this article is for you. We tell you how you can find out what your levels of this protein are and how to keep them at bay naturally.
What is C-reactive protein
C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced in the liver. It is a so-called acute-phase reactant protein whose levels increase in response to inflammation in the body.
Thus, when severe inflammation occurs, C-reactive protein levels rise. The cells responsible for the body's defense, the lymphocytes, are activated when there is infection or inflammation and secrete a protein called interleukin-6 - a cytokine - which stimulates the liver to synthesize C-reactive protein.
However, this protein does not indicate exactly what is happening in the body, it is only an alarm signal. Therefore, a physician must determine with other tests what is causing the inflammation to occur. CRP is just one of several markers that doctors use to assess overall health - as is the case with other indicators such as PSA, whose rises and falls have specific causes that are worth knowing about.
Under normal conditions, a healthy person has CRP levels below 10 milligrams per liter of blood. If its concentration exceeds this amount, it is usually an indicator of inflammation in the body.
High C-reactive protein: causes
Since this protein indicates inflammation in the body, it is important to know that it can be caused by different diseases. However, to know the exact cause, other tests must be done. Knowing the level of C-reactive protein is only an initial test that can tell us about a person's state of health.
However, it should be noted that in the second half of pregnancy or when taking certain birth control pills , C-reactive protein levels may be higher than normal. If you have been tested and your C-reactive protein levels are higher than normal, consult your physician.
In addition to those listed above, high c-reactive protein has causes as varied as a cold, fracture or bacterial infection. Let's look at the causes in a generic way:
- Severe trauma such as extensive burns.
- Infectious diseases: pneumonia, cystitis, bronchitis...
- Inflammatory diseases: rheumatic fever, pancreatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease...
- Cardiac problems. High C-reactive protein is generally associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
High C-reactive protein also has causes related to chronic diseases. For example, a physician may order such a test to confirm diagnoses such as rheumatoid arthritis.
How to lower C-reactive protein when it is high
Now that we know about high c-reactive protein, causes and diseases that may be involved in the equation, we must start from the assumption that the levels of this protein will go down when the cause of the inflammation disappears. Therefore, the involvement of a physician is necessary to determine the treatment or guidelines to be followed by the patient.
Even so, this does not mean that we cannot collaborate with the treatment and the organism when it comes to reducing this inflammation. A good way to help lower C-reactive protein levels is to supplement the diet with vitamin E. Vitamin E plays an important role in inflammation. This vitamin plays an important role in defending against oxidative stress and maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system. The latter feature is related to its anti-inflammatory function.
A low-fat diet is also a good strategy. In addition to being linked to unfavorable changes in the body in the type and number of gut bacteria (the so-called microbiota), fats increase the processes that trigger inflammation in the body. Thus, it may be a good idea to include foods rich in vitamin E and free of polyunsaturated fats in your diet:
- Healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado....
- Nuts such as almonds.
- Seeds such as sunflower seeds.
- Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.
Priming healthy lifestyle habits also has a positive effect on the remission of inflammatory processes. That's why it's a good idea to quit smoking, forget about alcoholic beverages and stay active. If you want a broader starting point for understanding how everyday symptoms relate to overall wellness, our guide to general health and wellness symptoms offers a comprehensive framework for interpreting your body's signals.
Supplements that can help
To help your body maintain proper levels of this and other proteins and indicators, it's best to maintain the same good habits as always: balanced diet, adequate rest, physical activity, and attention to the psychological and emotional plane. Feeling good depends on all of these.
In addition, if you want to give your body an extra vitamin E, we suggest taking it with organic silicon, which has an anti-aging effect and improves the health of your bones and joints.
- Silicium G7 Beauty with vitamin E, capsules that also help you to maintain the beauty of your skin, hair and nails.
- Silicium G7 Gel, enriched with vitamin E and with great capacity to penetrate very quickly through the skin. It can be very useful in case of trauma. You can also get it in its 500 ml version.
- Silicium G7 Original, a way to obtain silicon in a very effective way since it is highly assimilable and chemically organic, which gives it a higher bioavailability than other forms of silicon.
As you can see, healthy lifestyle habits, a balanced diet and vitamin E supplements can be of great help in dealing with high C-reactive protein and causes. Remember that if your doctor orders a test to determine your levels of this protein, by themselves they are not conclusive. He or she may need to further investigate the reasons for elevated levels of the protein in your body.
In any case, it never hurts to give your body what benefits it and keeps it healthy. This way, you'll be better prepared to deal with any infection or illness.
Frequently asked questions about high c-reactive protein causes
When severe inflammation occurs, C-reactive protein levels rise. The cells in charge of the body's defense, lymphocytes, are activated when there is infection or inflammation and stimulate the liver to synthesize C-reactive protein. However, this protein does not indicate exactly what is happening in the body, it is only an alarm signal.
Elevated CRP levels can indicate a variety of conditions, from infections to chronic inflammatory diseases to cardiovascular disease. More than 10 mg/L means a very high level, usually of concern.
CRP is a nonspecific marker, meaning that it can be elevated in response to many different conditions that cause inflammation in the body, from remumatoid arthritis to systemic lupus erythematosus to Crohn's disease to ulcerative colitis, among many other diseases. It is important to note that elevated CRP levels should be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical picture and other diagnostic findings.
Although elevated CRP does not cause specific symptoms by itself, it serves as an indicator that there is inflammation in the body, which in turn can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the underlying condition.
If you have been found to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), the most important thing to do is to identify and treat the underlying cause of the inflammation. It is essential to consult a physician, who will review your medical history, perform a physical examination and possibly order additional tests to identify the cause of the inflammation. The skin can also reflect internal inflammatory processes: ingredients such as urea, common in dermatological creams, have a specific role in restoring the damaged skin barrier that is important to know when inflammation is expressed in the skin.
