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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Discussing CRP Levels

Aired February 4, 2004 - 06:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to heart disease, you've probably heard the terms LDL and HDL. Well, it's time to add a new acronym to your alphabet soup of medical risks, CRP.
Joining us from New York to explain what the heck that is is our favorite dietitian, Lisa Drayer.

Good morning, Lisa.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.

Another three letters that we have to be concerned about, basically. CRP stands for C Reactive Protein. It's a protein that's produced primarily in the liver and high levels on a blood test indicate that there's inflammation somewhere in the body, that is, it's a marker of inflammation.

Now, previous research has suggested that high CRP levels are associated with increased risks for heart attacks. But now a new study suggests that high CRP may predict colon cancer risk. That is, researchers studied over 23,000 individuals and they found that those that later went on to develop colon cancer were much more likely to have high CRP levels at base line as compared to those who didn't.

COSTELLO: And, of course, that applies to food, so which foods could increase your risk to get colon cancer if you're a woman?

DRAYER: Right. Well, actually, this relates to another study on colorectal cancer in women. And basically researchers from Brigham & Women's found that foods with a high glycemic index -- remember we talked a little bit about this in the past with diets? Well, basically foods such as white bread, jelly beans, you know, real sugary foods that increase the level of sugar in the blood very rapidly, these are foods with a high glycemic index, that is, those women that were consuming more of these foods were more likely to developed colorectal cancer.

Now, it's really interesting, Carol, because there is a theory that states that colorectal cancer may be more likely to occur when there are high insulin levels in the body. Insulin is that hormone that metabolizes the blood sugar, that is, it helps to clear the blood of sugar. And so this, these results really point, support that theory, rather, because these foods do increase the blood sugar.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Interesting.

DRAYER: Yes. COSTELLO: So maybe you should avoid them if you have a history of colon cancer in your family?

DRAYER: Right. But I do want to point out one thing about the glycemic index. Right now, there are foods like sweet corn, we're looking at now, 55; spaghetti, 41; ice cream, 37; and Peanut M&Ms. Now, based on glycemic index theory, you would avoid the low G.I. foods because they don't produce a high rise in blood sugar. But look at what those foods are -- ice cream and Peanut M&Ms. They're not the healthiest foods.

And on the opposite side, foods like carrots have a high glycemic index and we know that fruits and vegetables protect against cancer. So you can't just look only at the G.I. value of foods when you want to talk about...

COSTELLO: Yes, I'm looking at bananas here and you know...

DRAYER: Right.

COSTELLO: If you exercise, bananas are the best thing to eat. And...

DRAYER: Absolutely. A ripe banana has -- but it has a high G.I., so according to this theory, you know, it would increase the blood sugar.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

OK, so what's on...

DRAYER: But you can't just look at that aspect.

COSTELLO: We won't. We will look at the whole picture.

DRAYER: Exactly.

COSTELLO: We will follow your advice.

What's on tap for tomorrow?

DRAYER: Right. Well, tomorrow, actually, Carol, we're going to talk about new cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines in women. Just two hours from now and right up the street, the American Heart Association will be announcing these new guidelines so we'll talk about them and foods that may help protect against heart disease.

COSTELLO: OK, we look forward to that.

Thank you, Lisa Drayer, live from New York this morning.

DRAYER: Thank you.

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