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Inflammation: A Serious Warning on
the Dashboard of our Body
by Gloria Gilbere N.D., D.A.Hom., PhD –
Healthy Living Article
 Most
of us have at one time or another experienced inflammation, be it as a
result of an injury or a medical condition, such as fibromyalgia,
arthritis, gout, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, etc. Today, researchers
have identified inflammation, of any kind, as a serious attack on the
body’s defense and repair mechanisms. They are discovering that
chronic inflammation may be the source of several other chronic, and
oftentimes life-threatening, diseases like heart attacks.
There is a test that actually measures inflammation
called hsCRP or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein blood test, not
widely known until the 1990s. It is not generally performed as part of
“normal” blood work panels but is helpful for anyone who suspects they
have chronic inflammation and those over the age of 50. Why is this
test important? It’s important because by monitoring these levels, you
might be able to avoid serious health problems. High levels of CRP are
one of the body’s warning lights for high risk of cancer in the colon,
esophagus, liver, stomach, prostate, and lymph, as well as a heart
attack.
This is a simple blood test that is cost-effective
and can be analyzed by most conventional laboratories; ask your doctor
about it and be sure to ask for the “highly-sensitive” test, not just
CRP. Keep in mind that this test does not indicate where the
inflammation is, just if it’s present in the body. Therefore,
depending on your symptoms, additional tests may be needed. This at
least can either identify a problem before symptoms occur or identify
other serious risk factors from existing inflammation.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine
showed that high levels of CRP increased the risk of dying from a
heart attack three times more than average, regardless of the
individual’s cholesterol levels.
Understanding Inflammation
Inflammation, especially when chronic, is nature’s
way of flashing a red warning light that something needs immediate
attention. That said the body may already be deploying its defensive
inflammatory responses without your knowledge until tissue destruction
shows up as a serious disease or disorder. Once the body has been
assaulted by inflammation, white blood cells called macrophages (your
army) rush to the area where the invader entered or where the injury
occurred. Macrophages produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are
chemical messengers that attack and clean up cells in the affected
area. If the inflammatory trigger continues, the cytokine production
rises, sending more and more signals to destroy more and more
cells—eventually leading to organ damage.
Pain Matters
Taking drugs for pain, except in acute cases for
short periods, does nothing to correct the underlying problem, and can
actually delay the healing process.
The red warning lights of pain and inflammation are
your body’s way of communicating that there could be something
seriously wrong and you need to take immediate action to find the
cause. Masking your symptoms with drugs that deal only with
symptom-care is like placing a piece of tape over the warning light on
your car dashboard when it warns of impending danger—covering up the
warning, all the while allowing the cause and its destruction to
become more serious by the hour.
Symptom Management—Quick Relief, Serious Side
Effects
Before we resort to pain-relieving drugs for quick
results, we must also understand the serious consequences. Don’t take
my word for it; the following is a public advisory that was issued by
the Food & Drug Administration:
| Public Health Advisory
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
Products (NSAIDS)
The FDA issued a public health advisory
concerning use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products
(NSAIDs) including those known as COX-2 selective agents.
Recently released data from controlled
clinical trials showing that the COX-2 selective agents (Vioxx,
Celebrex, and Bextra) may be associated with an increased risk
of serious cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke)
especially when they are used for long periods of time or in
very high-risk settings (immediately after heart surgery).
Preliminary results from a long-term
clinical trial (up to three years) suggest that long-term use of
a non-selective NSAID, naproxen (sold as Aleve, Naprosyn and
other trade name and generic products), may be associated with
an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk compared to placebo.
While the results of these studies are
preliminary and conflict with other study data on the same
drugs, the FDA is providing this advisory as an interim measure,
pending further review of data that continue to be collected
(FDA, Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, Dec.23, 2004).
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Statistics Matter
- Of people hospitalized for GI bleeding, 50 to 80
percent are taking, or have taken, NSAIDs, including: aspirin,
ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), and ketoprofen (Orudis).
- Serious side effects of NSAIDs include: stomach
distress, indigestion, ulcers, leaky gut syndrome. Ulcers occur in
15 percent of people who have used NSAIDs for at least three months.
- Annually, 76,000 people are hospitalized for GI
complications caused by chronic use of NSAIDs and similar drugs with
potential toxic effects.
- Large doses of Tylenol (acetaminophen), not an
NSAID, should not be substituted because either category of drug can
damage the liver. Additionally, taking both NSAIDs and acetaminophen
together can result in serious kidney damage—about 15 percent of
people on dialysis today are on it as a result of the damage from
Tylenol and/or aspirin.
- Heart failure is attributed to taking NSAIDs in
20 percent of patients.
- According to the University of Maryland, taking
short courses of NSAIDs for temporary pain relief should not cause
major problems because the stomach has time to recover and repair
any damage that has occurred. From where I sit, damage is still
damage.
Painful Reflections
Writing about the topic of inflammation is a painful
reflection for me; however, it is one I am qualified to write about
both from personal experience and as a doctor. As a recovered victim
of a life-threatening digestive condition resulting from taking
prescribed NSAIDs after a serious accident, I thank God every day for
my newfound health. I feel a personal responsibility to share with my
clients and readers the non-drug options that are now available to
them, that were not at the time of my illness.
Safe Solutions
 Finally,
at the urging of patients and doctors, a natural product was designed
not only for inflammation but also to support healthy joints, reduce
pain, assist with mobility, flexibility and much more—that product is
CapraFlex by
Mt. Capra. CapraFlex is unique because it contains
comprehensive natural support with powerful ingredients from its four
synergistically balanced blends that include:
1. Osteo-Enhancing Blend - from predigested
and regular goat-milk mineral concentrate. This broad array of
naturally occurring minerals assist in maintaining proper chemical
balance to keep calcium in solution (fluid), preventing it from
depositing in the joints. Also contains: calcium phosphate, L-Carnitine,
oat juice (natural silica) and alfalfa juice (free of gluten).
2. Joint and Cartilage Matrix Blend -
contains free-ranged chicken collagen type II, the principal
structural protein in cartilage that provides strength, flexibility
and support. In addition, it contains lutein and a bioactivated green
blend of barley, wheat, oat and alfalfa juices (all gluten-free). This
blend is predigested and contains 14 strains of beneficial
microorganisms and active enzymes.
3. ArthriFlex Blend - contains powerful,
natural ingredients known for their strong anti-inflammatory and
analgesic (pain reducing) effects, alkalizing effects and
antioxidants; these include tart cherry juice, ginger, turmeric,
acerola cherry, feverfew, valerian, lemon powder and white willow bark
(natural aspirin).
4. Anti-inflammatory Blend - specific enzymes
known for their effectiveness in assisting with inflammation: protease
blend, amylase, bromelain, lipase, papain and cellulose.
Additionally, CapraFlex provides support for the following conditions,
all in one product:
- Generalized pain
- Loss of bone mass
- Joint pain & stiffness
- Soft & connective tissue pain
- Stiffness made worse by inactivity
- Overly acidic pH
- Generalized inflammation
- Swollen joints
- Impaired flexibility
Heed the Warnings
When the warning lights on your body’s dashboard
signal something is wrong, don’t mask the discomfort with harmful
drugs.
CapraFlex offers you the opportunity to not only deal with the
pain and inflammation, it also contains ingredients to assist in
correcting the cause, keeping those warning lights from ever having to
flash, naturally.
As the study shows, it is no longer necessary to
accept the status quo and succumb to the invisible consequences of
drugs whose side effects can be worse than the original condition
they’re meant to treat. Although prescription drugs are surely
warranted for acute symptoms, trauma and injury, in the long term they
complicate the healing process.
CapraFlex by Mt. Capra offers a much needed alternative to
prescription drugs and their side effects.
For
more product information on CapraFlex,
the
product containing all the ingredients mentioned in the above article
and
recommended by Dr. Gilbère,
Click
Here.
The statements contained in this article have not
been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information
contained here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease. Suggestions and ideas presented in this article are for
information only and should not be interpreted as medical advice,
meant for diagnosing illness, or for prescriptive purposes. Readers
are encouraged to consult their health care provider before beginning
any cleanse, diet, detoxification program, or any supplement regimen.
The information in this document is not to be used to replace the
services or instructions of a physician or qualified health care
practitioner. |
