Extended-release niacin (1500 to 2000 mg per day) lowers levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) by an average of 24% in people starting with higher levels of Lp(a)—starting levels of 92 mg/dL versus 54 mg/dL—according to a study from Russia.

Elevated levels of C-reative protein—above 2 mg/dL—are associated with an increased risk of heart and stroke as noted by the Mayo Clinic.

Note: I prefer immediate-release niacin to extended-release niacin. In the 1980’s there were reports of some liver problems with extended-release niacin, and earlier studies showing benefits of niacin used immediate-release niacin, not extended-release.

Read the entire article | Email this article

Vitamin C at a dose of 1000 mg per day reduced C-reactive protein by 25 percent in people with levels above 1.0 mg per deciliter.

This was as much as occurs with statin drugs used to lower cholesterol levels.

Three-fourth of obese people (75 percent) had levels of C-reactive protein at or above 1.0 mg per deciliter.

"In summary, treatment with vitamin C but not vitamin E significantly reduced CRP among individuals with CRP >/=1.0 mg/L," the researchers concluded.

C-reactive protein is produced by the liver and by fat cells. Elevated levels of C-reactive protein are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and are a marker for inflammation in the body. Levels are elevated in obesity people because, as one researcher said, obesity is a chronic inflammatory state. Read the entire article | Email this article