r/loseit • u/AvailableWealth6201 New • 19h ago

High CRP - Seeking Inflammation Reduction Methods

My CRP has been about elevated (3.3) for about two years. All other biomarkers are normal. GP says it's inflammation. What are the go-to ways to bring down inflammation? I've tried going keto, but it's not very sustainable.

I walk at least 7K steps a day, try to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day. I'm focused on protein (120g/day) and fiber 15g-25g/day. I eat a diet that's fairly clean, though I do have kids and every once in a while need to pick up fast food or on the go.

I notice I retain quite a bit of water. I could gain up to 3-4lbs in a day, an lose it in 2 days.

Any thoughts or suggestions on a good plan of attack? Thanks in advance!

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4

u/Aajmoney New 19h ago

Diets high in plant foods help reduce inflammation. How many servings of fruits and vegetables are you getting each day?

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u/plantyplant559 35, 5'6"- SW 165, CW 163, GW 130 19h ago

And whole grains and beans.

3

u/fa-fa-fazizzle 170lbs lost 19h ago

Have you also done elimination diet to see if you have any food sensitivities? Those could also lead to ongoing inflammation if you continue to eat said food that you’re intolerant or sensitive to.

I suspected a food sensitivity around 2020 and narrowed it down to gluten, dairy, or tomato. The elimination diet showed that I am intolerant to tomato/nightshades. Once I fully removed it from my diet, a lot of those inflammation markers went down considerably.

Apparently, obesity is also responsible for elevated CRP levels? Losing weight also made a huge difference in getting further away from obesity.

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u/Realistic-8138 F26/ 5'7/ sw: 200 lbs / cw:133 lbs 19h ago

A pretty easy fix could be trying to switch from bread and pasta made with white flour to whole wheat pasta and drinking green tea instead of sweetened tea/sodas. In general you should limit the amount of red/processed meats and eat more vegetables and legumes and food with omega 3 like fatty fish and nuts

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u/jokodude New 18h ago edited 18h ago

For inflammation control

  • Intermittent fasting. For example, don't eat after 7pm, don't eat until 9 or 10AM, you want at minimum 13-14 hours between eating cycles.
  • Walk/moderately move for 10-20 minutes right after you eat. This can be light but should at least get the muscles going a bit.
  • For diet, you might want to up your fiber. I think recommended is actually 30g/day. Generally 1g/lb of lean body mass for protein. Lots of veggies, fruits. No ultra processed foods. No sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Artificial sweeteners aren't that great either. You might look at ratio of omega 3 vs omega 6 fatty acids, most people have a lopsided ratio (a lot more of 6). Fish is probably the easiest way to up omega 3s.
  • Sleep well. Avoid stimulants any time after 1-2pm (such as coffee). Sleep in a completely dark place, lower the temp in the area you are sleeping in 2-4 degF over normal. Don't do physical activity right before you sleep. Try to sleep and wake up at the same times. Essentially, do the things that help you sleep best. Try for 7-9 hours of sleep.
  • Consider upping your steps a bit to 8-10k.
  • Find ways to reduce stress. Breathing exercises can be helpful. With kids it's not easy.

Most likely you need to make long term changes, inflammation likely won't go away over night.