Helpful Blood test for early cancer detection: C-reactive Protein

In my thermography practice I screen quite a few women now who have had cancer or have recently been diagnosed. I always offer to incorporate additional advice on the different options they may have regarding getting well again and advise on changes to their nutrition and in this blog I would like to share some info regarding a blood test that can tell you a lot about what is going on in your body. This particular blood test could let you know that cancer is happening somewhere in your body.

CPR - C-reactive protein - a non-specific inflammation marker.

Knowing your CPR in general is important, because we do not want to be in a chronic state of low grade inflammation. Inflammation is BAD! Inflammation is the cause of all our chronic diseases but I bet you, this is hardly ever tested for in a routine blood test.

What is C-reactive protein?

It is a protein produced in the liver as a response to damage/ trauma somewhere in the body. It responds to inflammation. The more inflammation there is, the higher the CRP.

It is a marker for the risk of getting heart disease and stroke together with high levels of Homocystine.

CRP responds to the inflammation in the fat cells when you are overweight. It is often raised in people with Type 2 Diabetes. When you consume carbohydrates as a diabetic, your pancreas is no longer able to help put all the glucose into your cells for energy, nor is your liver able to convert all of the glucose from your consumed carbohydrates into fat tissue once the reserves are full. The excess glucose molecules cause irritation and damage to your blood vessels (signs are numbness and tingling in fingers and toes, deteriorating eye sight, ulcers on legs and soles of feet and toes) and this causes chronic inflammation in the body. I often see this during my screening. It shows as very warm fingers and feet.

CRP can be a response to inflammation in the bowels when you eat stuff that is damaging the gut like for instance wheat, legumes, milk protein (for some), nuts (for some). In my experience many people cannot tolerate wheat or other cereals, even if they are gluten-free. Every time you have loose stools or constipation, something has upset your digestive system and caused inflammation. When you see mucous in your poo, the gut has tried to protect itself by producing a coating around the irritant.

High CRP can indicate a risk for the breasts too. The breasts contain often good amounts of fatty tissue, especially if you are overweight due to your hormones changing during the menopause and this fat tissue produces inflammatory factors that CRP responds to.

By the way, oestrogen is produced in fat tissue, so those women (and men) with too much weight will be producing higher levels of this female hormone, which is linked to a higher risk of getting (breast) cancer. So being overweight gives you this double whammy: inflammation and extra oestrogen that you don't really want.

With thermal imaging, we can pick up on these areas of inflammation in the body. Areas that show inflammation well are the neck with the carotid arteries, the abdomen. as well as the breasts.

Once we have identified areas of inflammation with thermal imaging, we can then point you in the right direction to have it further investigated and treated if need be. Therefore a test to ask for at your doctor's is the CRP test.

Diet and Inflammation

The single most effective action that you can take yourself to reduce inflammation in your body is to make changes to your diet and lifestyle. Because, did you know that all people diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness first of all change their diet!

How to reduce inflammation and therefore the CRP

Reduce inflammation causing hormones.

Stress raises cortisol and adrenalin and both cause inflammation. Reduce your stress by taking time out for a walk, play with kids or dog, just do something outside in the fresh air.

High insulin due to carbohydrate overload causes inflammation so reduce your weight by reducing carbohydrates and just move a little more.

High levels of oestrogen can cause inflammation in tissues. An overworked and congested liver cannot break down those hormones, so see what you can do to help your liver. Most of the menopausal symptoms are due to the liver not being able to work well.

I hope that this article has wetted your appetite for further research into inflammation as the basis of disease and that thermography can help you discover, in colourful pictures, what goes on beneath the surface of your skin.

Janet