BY DR LYDIA THURTON
Inflammation, the health industries bad buzz word du jour. Last week we discussed inflammation as the root cause of high cholesterol. While cholesterol is routinely checked, markers of inflammation are less often explored. This week I will discuss how to know if you have high levels of inflammation. There are tests you can do that will give you clues. In many ways, this is the most important thing you can do for your health. Inflammation is at the root of many of the top killers – Alzheimer’s to asthma, heart disease to cancer.
Blood tests for inflammation are available through your family physician or naturopathic doctor. There are no perfect tests for body wide inflammation, but there are definitely clues. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is a marker that indicates when cells are dying at a rapid rate, which happens with inflammation. This is a simple blood test that should be run yearly.
Before CRP becomes elevated a compound called interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced. This compound is rarely tested and you may have to seek a naturopathic doctor to run the test for you. High Interleukin-6 indicates that your body perceives itself as under attack. Interleukin-6 is the starting point of many inflammatory reactions. Keep in mind that exercise can falsely elevate both CRP and IL6. Avoid exercising the day before testing.
Omega-3 fish oils are useful supplements because the family of compounds are potent anti-inflammatories. Naturopathic doctors can run blood tests to determine what kind of fats and oils your body has in its bloodstream. Omega-6 fats found in many common cooking oils tend to cause, rather than help inflammation. Omega-6 oils are eaten in large quantities relative to omega-3 and this can shift your body to a state of inflammation. Getting your omega-3 blood levels tested lets you know if your diet is giving what you need to fight inflammation.
Cortisol is our major “stress” hormone. Produced in response to chronic stressors like commuting, negative relationships and poor sleep this hormone actually acts as an anti-inflammatory in the body. If a person is under high stress for a long period of time cortisol levels can become depleted making it difficult for the body to use this hormone to stop body-wide inflammation. Getting your cortisol checked is as easy as spitting in a sample tube four times a day. Cortisol is best checked using a saliva sample, although there are blood tests as well.
Testing is a great way to get an objective look at what is happening on the inside of your body. Inflammation being the root cause of many debilitating diseases, these tests might just prompt you to make changes that could save your life.
