Three ways to tell if your inflammation is in the danger zone

Earlier this week, I shared some insights into the way chronic inflammation not only triggers pain, but actually makes you more sensitive to it.

But while inflammation is the driving force behind most pain issues, that’s not the only damage it does to your body.

This is why testing for inflammation is so important. And knowing which tests to ask your doctor for can make all the difference.

Multiple layers of inflammation disruption

Millions of people go about their days unaware that they’re passively setting the stage in their bodies for deadly chronic inflammation.

That’s because it’s all too easy to light the fuse that sets off inflammation.

Excess stress, lack of exercise, insufficient sleep, a diet that’s heavy in processed foods or foods with added sugars, exposure to toxins—any one of these factors promotes inflammation.

And when two or more are combined (as they often are), you can bet that low-grade inflammation is chipping away at your health.

In Dr. Marc Micozzi’s Inflammation Fighting Protocol, he outlines some of the ways systemic inflammation does its damage:

• Chronic arterial inflammation damages blood vessels, setting up higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Chronic brain inflammation can trigger cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.
• Chronically inflamed fat tissue destroys blood sugar balance, which promotes type 2 diabetes.
• Chronic cellular inflammation often develops into cancer.
• Chronic inflammation in the joints destroys cartilage, which can lead to osteoarthritis.

And that’s just some of the disruption inflammation can cause.

Dr. Micozzi adds, “An overactive immune system that creates chronic inflammation also ignites autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and the aptly named inflammatory bowel disease.”

In short, chronic, low-grade inflammation either causes or complicates every chronic disease of the 21st century. That’s why it’s so important to stop inflammation in its tracks wherever you can.

And the best place to start is by assessing your body’s inflammation levels.

One blood test for three key measurements

A simple blood test is all that’s needed in order to measure your levels of three important inflammation markers:

1. C-reactive protein
C-reactive protein, or CRP, is naturally produced in your liver, In Dr. Micozzi’s estimation, it’s the most prominent red flag for chronic inflammation.

He says, “I’d go so far as to say that the highly sensitive CRP test (Hs-CRP) is the best way to not only measure inflammation, but also the health of your coronary arteries. In fact, it’s a much better measure of heart health than cholesterol levels.”

Dr. Micozzi’s recommendation: Your CRP level should be less than 1 mg/L.

2. HA1c
This test is also known as the hemoglobin A1C, HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin, or the glycohemoglobin test.

Dr. Micozzi notes that HA1c measures the percentage of hemoglobin bound to sugar. And he adds, “It also gives a good long-term measure of your average blood sugar levels over three four months. Therefore it’s an accurate indication of your risk for diabetes. And, in a person with the disease, it shows whether or not diabetes is well-controlled.”

Dr. Micozzi says that HA1c should be between 4.4 and 6.5 percent. But if you have diabetes and are older, you can work with your doctor to adjust to the levels that suit you best.

3. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW)
Dr. Micozzi explains that this test is part of a routine CBC, or Complete Blood Count, and measures the amount of variability in the size of your red blood cells.

And he adds this important note: “Doctors typically don’t pay much attention to it. But that’s a mistake—because a ‘high’ RDW is a sign of chronic inflammation.”

A normal RDW range is 11.5 to 14.5 percent.

Dr. Micozzi recommends you ask your doctor for one or more of these tests. In his view, the CRP test is the most important—although HA1c is essential for individuals with diabetes.

Anti-inflammation efforts begin at the dinner table

Dr. Micozzi shares many different solutions to naturally reducing inflammation throughout his Inflammation Fighting Protocol. But I’ll share with you the No. 1 recommendation that tops his list of actions you can take today to curb inflammation: Change your diet—especially your sugar intake.

More specifically, he says, “Don’t eat sugar, simple carbs, or processed foods. This is one of the most effective ways to fight chronic inflammation. Swap out these harmful foods for plenty of anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables.”

For his specific dietary and supplement recommendations—along with two more blood test recommendations—refer to the Resource Directory in his Inflammation Fighting Protocol where you’ll find many more strategies designed to put a chill on chronic inflammation.

Click here to enroll today or to explore further details about this indispensable online learning tool.