If I had one piece of advice for you for the rest of the year, it would be to get chronic inflammation under control.
This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent premature aging…
You see, runaway inflammation is the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and even frailty.
Sadly, most of the world today is inflamed – thanks to our modern diet that includes inflammatory ingredients like sugar, cheaP vegetable oils, and refined carbohydrates.
These foods cause relentless inflammation in our bodies because we weren’t designed to eat them.
But there’s no need to worry. There are simple and fast ways to conquer inflammation – and reclaim good health!
I first recommend asking your doctor to test you for C-reactive protein —or CRP.
In important recent studies, CRP has been recognized as more than just a marker of inflammation. It’s also an active cause of chronic inflammation and disease.
I’ve been testing my patients’ CRP levels for decades. I don’t use this measurement just for heart disease but for multiple chronic conditions that have inflammation at their root.
Hands down, CRP is the best measure of inflammation out there. For years, I was one of the few doctors in America using this simple but highly sensitive test.
CRP is released in your body as a healthy immune system response to injury, infection, and other inflammatory stimuli. It’s part of your body’s effort to heal itself.
But too much inflammation for too long causes this normal healing process to run amok.
CRP is a protein made throughout your body — especially by immune cells, your liver, and by fat cells. It binds to specific substances in the body and triggers the production of inflammatory molecules called cytokines.
Studies prove that CRP is a highLy accurate predictor and tracker of progress in a variety of chronic conditions.1
Follow my 3-step plan to combat inflammation and live your healthiest year ever
Here at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, I recommend a number of ways to lower your CRP levels and reduce inflammation in your body.
Step 1: Eat like your ancient ancestors
You can get stArted by sticking to these easy principles:
- Eat natural fats.
- Eat protein at every meal. Protein is the only macronutrient your body requires every day.
- Include little — or even zero — starch.
- Choose wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat.
- Avoid all pro-inflammatory foods. These include all grains, trans fats, fried food, sugar, foods cooked at high temperatures, and all processed foods.
Step 2: Bring back the balance between bad and good fatty acids
When we were told to stop eating saturated fats like butter, lard, and whole milk, it destroyed the natural balance between anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and pro-inflammatory omega-6s.
Our ancestors had a ratio of 1:1 in their diets. That means for every bit of omega-6 they ate, they ate the same amount of omega-3s.
In our modern world, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats we eat has skyrocketed to as much as 20 to 1. Studies show that this omega 6 overload triggers the COX-2 enzyme that increases inflammation.2
If you reduce that omega-6/omega-3 ratio down to 4:1, you see a 70% decrease iN mortality rates. And a ratio of 3:1 can suppress inflammation.3
- Balance the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in your diet by eliminating corn oil, canola oil, soy oil, and margarine. Use high-quality olive, coconut, or avocado oil and organic, grass-fed butter.
- Avoid processed and prepackaged foods that almost always contain one of the omega-6 vegetable oils.
- Add more omega-3 into your diet. Good sources include grass-fed beef, organ meat; fatty fish; avocado; walnuts, and olives. But after years of tracking my patients’ omega-3 levels, I know it’s almost impossible to get enough healthy fats from your diet. I suggest supplementing with up to 1,000 mg of DHA omega 3 from squid oil.
Step 3. Eliminate inflammation with frankincense
New research shows that the boswellic acids in frankincense battle inflammation. In one study, 52 rugby players had acute inflammation. They were given either a placebo or frankincense. After four weeks, those taking Boswellia had a significant reduction in inflammation.4 Supplement with 400 mg three times a day. Look for a product that is standardized to at least 65% boswellic acids.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
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References
1. Ahmadi-Ahangar A “Predictive ability of C-reactive protein for stroke.” Caspian J Intern Med. 2016 Summer;7(3): 151–152.
2. Patterson E, et al. “Health implications of high dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.” J Nutr Metab. 2012; 2012: 539426.
3. Simopoulos AP. “The importance of the ratio of omega-6.omega-3 essential fatty acids.” Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56(8):365-79.
4. Franceschi F, et al. “A novel lecithin based delivery form of Boswellic acids (Casperome®) for the management of osteo-muscular pain: a registry study in young rugby players.” Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2016;20(19):4156-4161.
