Inflammation is increasingly being linked with disease. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a known marker of chronic inflammation in humans and has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and poorer outcomes for those who have suffered a myocardial infarction. Both smoking and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and both are associated with increased CRP. It is not known that obesity is a disease of chronic inflammation and research has linked obesity to lower plasma levels of vitamin C (here). If CRP is involved in the development of cardiovascular disease, this might explain some of the effectiveness of the non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug aspirin in reducing the risk of heart attacks in those who take it regularly. Research has started to identify a number of nutrients that are able to lower levels of CRP in plasma of humans.
Research published in the Journal of Nutrition1 investigated the association of whole grains with the plasma levels of high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) in 259 healthy women aged 18 to 44 years. To do this the researchers used 24 hour recall questionnaires and blood tests. The results showed that whole grain were inversely associated with hsCRP and that consumption of 1 serving of whole grains (16g or 125 mL of a 100% whole grain food) was associated with an 11.5 % lower hsCRP level. In other research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition2, 14,519 healthy US men an women aged over 20 had their blood tested for CRP and other nutritional factors. The results showed that CRP was inversely associated with plasma levels of retinol, retinyl esters, vitamin C, α-carotene, β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein / zeaxanthin, lycopene and selenium.
These results are interesting in that only a small amount of whole grain food was necessary to decrease levels of hsCRP. Many studies have now identified the consumption of whole grains and beneficial against cancer, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, and this may be due to their anti-inflammatory actions. Whole grain foods are defined as grains that have the endosperm, bran and germ in the same proportion as the original plant. All these components contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and polyphenols in various ratios. Studies have also shown that wine is effective at reducing CRP and other markers of inflammation (here), and wine is a good source of antioxidant nutrients. Those interested in optimum health and decreased inflammation should consume primarily whole grains and a wide range of foods containing antioxidant nutrients.
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