Physicians on all the popular news programs have been touting that "statin drugs" can reduce your CRP level thus lowering your risk of stroke and heart attack. However, statin drugs may reduce essential coenzyme Q10, which the body needs for a healthy heart. They state that until now, there has been no medically proven way to reduce CRP levels. Thus, many physicians do not regularly test these levels.
Recent information links gum disease with systemic inflammation which is measured by the production of liver proteins such as C-Reactive Protein.
CRP is a protein produced in the liver and circulates in the blood. CRP levels increase when the body is fighting off an infection or when inflammation is present. CRP has been known to be a risk factor for heart attacks and peripheral artery disease. Blockages in blood vessels called plaque are collections of products contained in cells and include CRP. Elevated levels of CRP may predict the risk of heart attack up to eight years in advance, can increase the risk of heart attack by seven times, and are also an indication of cancerous activity. Over 50% of the people who have had heart attacks have normal Cholesterol levels. Thus, it is now being published that CRP is more predictive of heart attacks than bad cholesterol.
A Finnish study in 1989 noted that people who had heart attacks had more periodontal disease and tooth decay. Since then, more studies have linked periodontal disease to heart disease, stroke, low birth weight babies, diabetes and other diseases.
Periodontal disease is a serious, chronic, bacterial infection of the gums that destroys the gums and bone that holds your teeth in place. Since CRP levels increase when an infection is present, it is extremely important to treat this disease immediately.
It must be noted, however, that periodontal disease is a disease that may never completely disappear without proper care. Therefore, it is important to continue regular dental visits that your dentist recommends to stop the progression of this disease.
Dr. Donley incorporates laser therapy in his periodontal program to kill the bacteria as well as nutritional supplementation to increase healing and fight infection. By continuing with your wellness visits, he and the hygienist will test for any increase in bacteria levels and treat immediately.
At his Center for Dental Medicine, Dr. Jim will test your CRP levels if you show signs of periodontal disease. Your levels will also be retested when you complete therapy so that you can have peace of mind that you are on your way to improved health. The drugs that are now being promoted to lower the CRP level may carry or lead to other health problems which so often occur with drug therapy. By treating the source of the problem instead of the symptons, you can most often avoid the use of more medications.
If you would like to schedule a New Patient Appointment with Dr. Donley's office that would include testing for the bad bacteria that are found in the mouth as well as CRP testing, if needed, please call his office at (231) 744-6661. Your health is very important and we want to help you improve your wellness levels as much as you wish.
A researcher named Dr. Max Wolf, M.D. studied enzymes and hormones from the early 1930s and into the 1960s at Columbia University. Enzyme production diminishes in humans after the age of approximately 27 was his determination. In the past, humans would usually supplement their enzyme levels unknowingly by consuming fresh, raw, highly nutritional foods. By today's standards, though, modern preservation and preparation often destroy these essential enzymes, thus creating conditions of an enzyme deficiency that causes the body and normal functions of the body to break down somewhat.
So in order to get the enzymes needed we must supplement our diets with systemic enzymes - those that offer us system-wide benefits throughout the body - just as we may supplement with herbs, minerals and vitamins. A really good quality enzyme product is Vitalzym. The quality of Vitalzym can be anti-inflammatory (help with pain relief), helps with healing scar tissue, and helps with overall vitality, energy and strength.
Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts that speed up the rate from which a biochemical reaction proceeds but does not alter the direction or nature of the reactions. These enzymes are found throughout every cell of every living plant and animal, including human beings. Biocatalysts either begin a reaction or cause a reaction to speed up. So without enzymes, life would not exist. Enzymes are that essential.
Enzymes work by virtue of their shape, and these enzyme molecules can be compared by its shape to many short strings of pearls (amino acids) that are strung together. This long string folds in on it self as certain sequences of amino acids are more attracted to each other than to other sequences, thus giving the enzymes a specific shape.
Vitalzym provides the enzymes needed for each of the millions of biochemical reactions that make life possible, and is available at all three locations of the Health Hutt.
Your face and body are constant visible monitors of how well you are aging. Aging is inevitable, of course, but the way we age and how quickly we do so isn't necessarily predetermined.
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the foundation of healthier aging, radiant skin, and looking and feeling better. Unfortunately our busy lifestyles do not always allow us to eat properly.
At our Creating Wellness Center we recommend Juice Plus to our patients for a variety of health reasons. Juice Plus is fruits and vegetables in a capsule, which bridges the gap between what we are supposed to be getting (the daily recommended allowance of nine to 13 servings per day) and what we are actually getting.
It has also been shown in various studies to increase folate and important antioxidants in the blood stream, decrease homocysteine levels (increased levels can lead to blocked blood vessels which in turn lead to stroke and heart attacks).
Juice Plus has also been shown to improve immune system function, because it gets into the bloodstream where it goes to the organs that need it!
Good health (and the benefits thereof) is not a matter of what you do now and then. It's what you do on a daily basis that really counts. It amazes me how many people have a daily regimen for their skin "from the outside in" but have never considered the importance of taking care of their skin from the inside out.
Juice Plus is an easy and convenient way to get more of the nutrition we need from fruits and vegetables - every day - in order to look better, feel better, and take better care of our health in general.