How To Reduce Calprotectin Naturally

What is Calprotectin?

Calprotectin is a marker of gut inflammation, find out how to reduce calprotectin naturally – and what is causing your high calprotectin levels.

Calprotectin is a zinc-binding protein with strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is found in a type of white blood cell called neutrophil. The key role of calprotectin is the defense against bacteria and viruses. Increased levels of calprotectin are directly connected with GI tract inflammatory processes.

If inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract occurs, neutrophils move to the inflamed area and release calprotectin. The concentration of calprotectin in the stool sample is a significant biomarker and diagnostic indicator.

A wide variety of conditions can be detected by advanced stool tests that assess calprotectin biomarkers. These are the three main inflammatory digestive issues that fecal calprotectin quantification can help identify:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Ulcerative Colitis (UC), Crohn’s Disease (CD)

Crohn’s Disease is an inflammation of the small intestine, that can involve any part of the digestive tract.
Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause ulcers of the colon and rectum.
Symptoms of IBD: severe diarrhea,  fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, and malnutrition.

Also Read: What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD)?

• Food (protein) sensitivities
• Infectious organisms

Two of the cutting-edge tests available nowadays for assessing calprotectin and other intestinal health markers is the GI Map Stool test and the Vibrant Wellness Gut Zoomer. These tests not only measure calprotectin levels, but also gut bacteria, parasites and yeast infections that can be the underlying cause.

If your doctor has only checked calprotectin, you maybe missing an important piece of the puzzle. Without knowing why your levels are high it is hard to know exactly the best treatment plan to naturally lower calprotectin levels.

The Gut Zoomer is the latest stool test on the market and this measures more inflammation markers and beneficial bacteria compared to the GI Map, which if you have high calprotectin then this may be the best option for you.

Calprotectin Role In Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Measuring fecal calprotectin is more than a recommended step for diagnosing IBD, it is a standard procedure. Numerous clinical trials have proved the effectiveness and usefulness of measuring fecal calprotectin.

While it maybe the recommended standard procedure it is not often done on a regular basis to track progress.

As a rule, there are two scenarios with the patient presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms can be a sign of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease).
Accurate measuring of fecal calprotectin sheds light on the health issue hidden by common symptoms of IBS and IBD. Your diagnosis and treatment plan directly depends on the levels of calprotectin and whether there are any other pathogens present.

Low Levels Of Calprotectin

A low calprotectin level (50 to 150) is proof that you have IBS, which is not as severe a health issue as IBD. The stool sample with low calprotectin indicates the absence of excess inflammation and a colonoscopy may not be needed.

Ideal calprotectin levels would be less than 20.

Also Read: What Causes IBS?

Moreover, if your calprotectin levels are below 100 µg/g, you are likely to experience remission and ongoing mucosal healing. In other words, if your stool test shows a low calprotectin level, this is great news!

High Levels Of Calprotectin

Elevated levels of calprotectin, around 250 to 300 µg/g or above, is a red flag and indicator of IBD.

Such results mean that you have ongoing inflammation in your GI tract and might experience a flare. Unlike IBS, IBD is an inflammatory process, and the endoscopy procedure is a must to confirm the diagnosis.

Note: There are no fixed rules for calprotectin testing. Judging the test results depends on the country, test kit and, of course, the symptoms of the patient. Most of the practitioners consider 10 – 50 μg/mg to be a normal range of calprotectin. If your calprotectin levels are elevated (above 250 µg/g), this is definitely abnormal.

Benefits Of Calprotectin Testing

Assessment of calprotectin combined with patient’s symptoms gives a full picture, which prevents mistakes and helps make the right diagnosis.

• Calprotectin testing eliminates guesswork, unnecessary procedures (endoscopy) and reduces expenses.
• It helps predict clinical relapse, which is quite common for a large percentage of patients with asymptomatic IBD.
• Calprotectin measuring is good for monitoring IBD patients. People with IBD, as a rule, go through the periods of remission and flare-ups. During the flare-ups, you can experience abdominal pain, fever, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. Testing calprotectin is necessary for monitoring the activity of disease and level of inflammation.
• Also, most of the patients with IBD are put on long-term 5-aminosalicylate therapy to reduce the severity of clinical relapse. By testing your calprotectin levels, the doctor evaluates the degree of inflammation. In case calprotectin levels are normalized, you don’t have to maintain treatment. On the other hand, if high levels of calprotectin and inflammation remain, the doctor may increase your daily dose to alleviate the bothersome symptoms.

Also Read: Calprotectin Fecal Test: Everything You Need To Know

Calprotectin And Food Sensitivities

Calprotectin testing can also indicate other gastrointestinal conditions such as food allergies and intolerances.

For instance, the most common allergy in babies under the age of 1 year is cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). It occurs when the body abnormally reacts to the protein in the milk of cows and other animals. This immune reaction can damage a baby’s stomach if left untreated.

CMPA can be IgE-mediated (immediate reaction) and non-IgE mediated (delayed reaction). It is much harder to diagnose the second type. The symptoms of non-IgE mediated CMPA can occur in 2 days or even in one week after drinking milk.

Blood and skin allergy tests won’t help diagnose the delayed reaction CMPA. However, testing calprotectin can help to make the right diagnosis.

It has been proved by trials that elevated calprotectin concentrations are associated with cow’s milk allergy. No doubt, calprotectin levels are a useful biomarker for diagnosing CMPA and its treatment.

Nevertheless, the connection between calprotectin levels and allergies requires further investigation. Every case is unique, and not always calprotectin levels help us detect some inflammatory processes and allergies.
Calprotectin And Gut Infections

Another interesting case and the important role of calprotectin is its aid in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) infections.

Also Read: How your Gut Microbiome shapes your Health?

Millions of people, both children and adults suffer from gastrointestinal infections every day. Some GI infections rapidly and easily resolve in a few days, other infections are potentially serious and even dangerous. 

There are three common types of GI infections:

1. Bacterial: E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, H.pylori, Campylobacter, etc.

2. Viruses: Norovirus, Rotavirus, etc.

3. Parasites: Giardiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, etc.

In mild cases that resolve in a few days, it is not necessary to go through numerous advanced testing and procedures. You can just follow these tips to treat your illness:

• Drink water regularly throughout the day to stay hydrated
• Eat smaller portions, but more often, consume some salty foods
• Consume foods and drinks with potassium. Bananas are especially rich in potassium

Note: Self-medication has potential risks. Don’t take any medications without consulting your doctor.

If you are vomiting for more than 48 hours, have severe abdominal pains, and fever, it is time to see a doctor and do some testing, including an assessment of your calprotectin levels.

If the acute symptoms subside but you still “don’t feel right” and have ongoing digestive symptoms it would be the right time to do a more advanced stool test to measure calprotectin levels plus assess if there are any pathogens present.

I recommend the Gut Zoomer OR the G.I Map stool test to assess gut health.

Many recent trials and investigation show that calprotectin levels get increased during various GI infections, just like in the situation with IBD. Therefore, calprotectin concentration can help evaluate gut infections and implement effective infection control measures.

Calprotectin Elevation And NSAID Medications

Allergies, infections, parasites, and viruses are not the only causes of high calprotectin concentration. There is one more reason for borderline calprotectin levels – intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).

Many drugs, if not all, have risks of possible side effects, NSAID is not an exception. Some of the most famous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, and proton-pump inhibitors.

These medicines can be absolutely harmless. However, long-term use of those drugs may cause inflammation of the small intestine, and logically – high calprotectin levels.

Inflammation caused by NSAIDs is associated with gastrointestinal bleeding and even hospitalization. For this reason, patients on NSAIDs should be monitored by the doctor to prevent any complications.

Also, it is recommended to assess calprotectin concentration again in 2-3 months after NSAID treatment and previous calprotectin testing. This will help to make sure that there is no other reason (infection, virus, etc.) for high calprotectin concentration.

If you are taking NSAIDs long term it is also important to look out for gastric bleeding.

How To Reduce Calprotectin Naturally And Relieve Intestinal Inflammation

Improve Your Diet

Start with the optimization of your nutrition. What you consume, directly influences your gut health and activity of intestinal inflammation. While some foods can help you prevent nutrition deficiency and reduce inflammation, other foods can just aggravate your symptoms.

Start Food Diary

Keep track of what you’re consuming and how you feel after a meal. You can use a small notebook or mobile application for your food notes. It will help you detect foods that worsen your symptoms and try reducing or eliminating those foods.

Note: Common triggers for inflammation of your GI tract can be the following foods:

• Fiber-packed foods (raw vegetables and fruits, seeds and nuts)
• Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, etc)
• Acidic foods
• Dairy product
• High-fat foods ( fried foods, butter, margarine, cream sauces)
• Spicy foods
• Alcohol and caffeine

Talk To Your Naturopath Or Nutritionist

You can bring your notes to the consultation and this can help to build your personalized diet. We can recommend you IBD-friendly foods to consume and foods to avoid. A well-balanced diet tailored to your organism’s needs will help prevent nutrient deficiency and reduce inflammation.

You can easily schedule a consultation with me, and I can help you find the right diet for your lifestyle.

Drink A Lot Of Liquids

The biggest problem connected with intestinal inflammation and diarrhea is dehydration. That’s why it’s important to drink a lot of water, juices, and clear broths.

However, you have to avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks, sugary drinks and sodas, and of course, alcohol. They may just worsen your diarrhea.

If you have severe flares, you can consider a liquid diet. It consists of liquid meal replacements like the Elemental Diet. Although it may be not very pleasant and absolutely not tasty, the results may surpass your expectations – and it is only for the short term.

Note: The liquid diet requires constant guidance and monitoring by physician and nutritionist.

Consider Alternative Medicine

Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements

As a result of digestive problems, you may experience nutrient deficiency, which causes fatigue and lowers the density of your bones. To prevent additional health issues, talk to your doctor regarding supplementation with vitamins and minerals.

Here is a short list of helpful nutrients:

• Iron and vitamin B12 – to reduce fatigue and prevent anemia
• Vitamin D – to reduce inflammation
• Calcium – to support bone health and prevent osteoporosis
• Folate – to maintain new cells and reduce the risks of anemia
• Vitamin B12 – if you have problems with ileum (part  of the small intestine that absorbs vitamin B12)
• Zinc – to treat zinc deficiency caused by frequent diarrhea

Probiotics to Enhance Your Gut Health

Probiotics can help you restore your gut ecosystem and reduce inflammation and calprotectin concentration. Your doctor might prescribe you the following probiotics:

• High dose multistrain probiotic – I would be cautious with starting out with a product like this
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Probiotic E. coli strain Nissle 1917
• Spore-forming probiotics
• Saccharomyces Boulardii

Note: Do not buy and take probiotics without consultation with a nutritionist. At Planet Naturopath we have access to high quality brands like Moss Nutrition that has excellent products to address inflammatory bowel disease and aid in gut healing.

Try Herbal Therapy

• Herbal remedies could be another method to lower calprotectin levels and alleviate symptoms of digestive disorder.
• These are the ten herbs with strong anti-inflammatory properties and anti-IBD effects:
• Mastic gum
• Boswellia serrata
• Berberine
• Artemisia absinthium
• Aloe vera
• Curcumin (turmeric)
• Triticum aestivum (wheat grass juice) 
• Topical Xilei-san
• Andrographis paniculata extract
• Ginger extract

Note: Take herbal remedies, strictly following the recommendations of your Naturopath or Herbalist. Otherwise, you may just aggravate your health conditions.

Learn To Deal With Stress

Stress also influences your calprotectin levels and degree of intestinal inflammation. Obviously, this is not the main trigger of your digestive problems. However, from my own experience, I have noticed that many people report flare-ups during high-stress periods.

There are several methods of how you can gain control over stress and relax – this can be one of the keys to reducing calprotectin naturally.

Physical Activities 

Aerobic exercises and yoga are the best ways to relieve stress and fight depression, which positively influences your overall health, including your digestive system.

Talking to a Good Listener

In order to beat stress, let out your emotion in a face-to-face conversation with your best friend. Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with your psychologist if you’d like to talk to a specialist and get some advice.

Relaxation Techniques

Breathing strategies and meditation can help you manage your stress and relieve tension. You can also try biofeedback to improve your emotional and mental health.

The Nerva Program – this is a gut-brain self hypnosis program that I have seen great results with client, I have worked out a deal with Nerva to get a 15% discount for my clients.

Quit Smoking

Smoking has one ’benefit’, it may help prevent ulcerative colitis. On the other hand, it negatively impacts your heart, lungs, skin, and every part of your body including the GI tract.

Moreover, constant smoking can cause Crohn’s disease or make it worse, increasing the risk of relapse. If you want to optimize your gut health and reduce inflammation, you should stop smoking. It is not a recommendation; it is a must. Take your health seriously.

Bottomline For Reducing Calprotectin Naturally

Assessing calprotectin levels can help detect inflammation in the intestines caused by IBD, gut infection, allergy or NSAID medication. Also, testing calprotectin is useful for monitoring the activity of digestive disorder and measuring the degree of inflammation.

You can measure calprotectin concentration with the help of the Gut Zoomer OR GI Map test in the comfort of your home. On the basis of the accurate results, you can get an effective plan on how to deal with intestinal inflammation. Note, that changing your diet and lifestyle is vital for successful treatment of disease like IBD.

If you have any questions on calprotectin properties and its role in treating inflammation of the GI tract, you are welcome to schedule a consultation with me.