There's a price to pay for a dirty mouth. One study in the Journal of Periodontology shows that the inflammatory effects of periodontal disease also cause inflammation of your arteries; signs of disease in multiple spots in your mouth can hike CRP by 14 percent.
"The bacteria that cause gum disease, we think, set up an immune reaction that attacks your arteries," Dr. Roizen says. Floss daily, and make regular dentist appointments so hygienists can remove plaque.
Note: If you can't stand flossing, at least rinse nightly with Listerine or a store-brand equivalent containing thymol, eucalyptol, menthol, and methyl salicylate. Recent research shows that this swish-and-spit protocol can be just as effective as flossing at fighting gum disease.
Inflammation Fighter 4: Build a Salmon Burger
Yet another bullet point to add to fish oil's already impressive
resume: "Lowers CRP."
In a new Harvard study, people who consumed the most omega-3 fatty
acids (1.6 grams per day) had 29 percent lower CRP readings than those
who ate the least. "Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease hydrogen peroxide,
which plays an important role in the inflammatory process," says study
author Esther Lopez-Garcia, Ph.D.
Good sources of omega-3s include flaxseed, walnuts, sardines, tuna,
and, of course, salmon. And though wild salmon is tops for taste, the
canned kind is better at lowering CRP. "Canned salmon is packed in
vegetable oils that also contain omega-3s," says Lopez-Garcia.
Here's how to get your health on a roll: Drain the liquid from a
6-ounce can of pink salmon and dump the fish into a bowl. Mix well with
one Egglands Best egg (fortified with 150 mg omega-3s), 1/4cup of diced
red onion, and a tablespoon of bread crumbs. Form into two patties and
dredge in additional bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20
minutes. Slip the patties inside whole-wheat buns.
Inflammation Fighter 5: Cut the Fuel Supply
We already know what kind of damage fat can do -- both to your body and
to subway turnstiles. Losing that fat by cutting calories is an
important way to put the squeeze on CRP.
In a Wake Forest University study, those who cut calories and lost
weight reduced their CRP by 6 percent over an 18-month period, says
study author Barbara Nicklas, Ph.D. She speculates that the body
reduces inflammation because it's not being stoked with excess
calories.
Nicklas says that firing up your metabolism with interval training can also help decrease inflammation.
Try this track workout: After warming up, run a quarter of the way
around a track (about 100 meters) at close to sprint pace. Rest until
you recover, then run 200 meters as fast as you can at a near-sprint
pace. Rest, then do 300 meters. Rest, then do 400 meters. Now come back
down the ladder -- 300 meters then rest, 200 then rest, and finally 100
meters.
Inflammation Fighter 6: Eat Fiber, Fiber, and More Fiber!
Leave the Froot Loops for the kids and reach for the All-Bran. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, the odds of having high levels of CRP dropped by 40 percent for those people who had the most fiber during the day.
Possible reasons include fiber's impact on insulin and its ability to
bring down cholesterol and blood pressure. "It's also possible that
fiber may have an independent effect through other processes," says
study author Umed Ajani, M.D.
Whatever the reason, consume your recommended 20-plus grams (g) of
fiber with the ABC method: Each day, eat an apple (3 g), two slices of
whole-grain bread (4 g), and a large bowl of fiber-rich cereal such as
All-Bran (13 g).
Inflammation Fighter 7: Go Out With the Guys
Catch Monday Night Football together and the social interaction may help you beat another CRP booster: depression.
According to a Johns Hopkins University study, men who were depressed
had a 64 percent chance of having higher levels of CRP, and a new Duke
study showed that people with moderate symptoms of depression had two
times higher CRP numbers than their light-hearted counterparts. The
causes aren't clear, but depression may boost norepinephrine, a stress
hormone that triggers chronic inflammation.
Bonus: Down a beer with the boys and you may lower your CRP even further, according to a study published in the journal Atherosclerosis.
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