Homocysteine, A Cause for Many Health Concerns Today

By Meguire Caldwell

Homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, has been increasingly recognized as an important risk factor for many common medical conditions, disease development, and death from such conditions.

ACCORDING TO a homocysteine information site, increased levels of homocysteine in the blood is greatly linked to an increased risk for coronary heart disease, increased chance of having a stroke, as well as an increase in the development of dementia later in life. In addition, it’s been linked to osteoporosis and diabetes. The good news is it’s easy to check the homocysteine levels in the blood, and it’s even easier to decrease the levels through diet and/or nutritional supplementation via a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.

Homocysteine is an amino acid in the body produced by a methionine conversion. Methionine is a compound regularly consumed in the diet, from fish for example. Upon digestion, this compound is taken into the bloodstream and then cells, where a methyl group, 3 hydrogens and a carbon, is removed to produce homocysteine (http://www.homocysteine.net/). From there, methylation occurs. Methylation is a process of adding and subtracting methyl groups from one substance to another, and it occurs a billion times a day in our body. Proper nutrition feeds proper methylation, which feeds a healthy working system. Thus, the lack thereof results in havoc for the body. Adding one type of methyl group to homocysteine produces S-adenosyl methionine, or Sam-e. The production of Sam-e is an excellent way to reduce homocysteine levels, for the methylation process takes homocysteine in the blood and converts it to a useful compound in the body, preventing the accumulation of homocysteine in the blood. In addition, Sam-e is a natural anti-depressant, and has been shown to fight arthritis (http://www.homocysteine.net/). Adding another type of methyl group to the homocysteine produces glutathione, also great at lowering homocysteine levels in the blood. In addition it’s an anti-aging agent and natural detoxifier. A decrease in glutathione results in an increased risk of death from all common causes. (http://www.homocysteine.net/)

According to the homocysteine information website, the key to a long healthy life is keeping our homocysteine levels down, and our glutathione levels up. Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, author of Digestive Wellness, would agree. As she dives into the realities of the American diet, she can’t help but discuss homocysteine and it’s role as a leading risk factor for many health concerns. Unfortunately, whether they know it or not, most Americans are consuming a diet of processed foods, which are completely stripped of the disease-preventing antioxidants. However, by simply changing this way of eating, there can be great decreases in the incidence of heart disease. This is because whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains contain antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, selenium, glutathione, and carotenoids (an antioxidant found in red and orange fruits and vegetables). Antioxidants do many great things for our bodies, but most importantly they help to prevent inflammation in our blood vessels, a process associated with heart disease. They are like cleaning agents for our arteries. Lipski supports the homocysteine information website, stating that elevated blood homocysteine levels are, sadly, another risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but that increasing both dietary and supplemental levels of vitamin B6 , vitamin B12 and folic acid can normalize homocysteine levels (Lipski, 2005, p.4).

Naturally, on average, homocysteine increases anywhere from 3-5 units (millimole/liter) throughout one’s life span (www.homocysteine.net). There are many biological reasons for this, ones that we have no control over. Men typically have higher levels than women, possibly due to hormonal differences, while kids will have an increase during puberty. Pregnancy and postmenopausal women both experience a decrease in homocysteine due to changes in metabolism, while the elderly see an increase in the blood protein. Physiological age related changes might be responsible for this. There are many lifestyle factors that can increase homocysteine levels beyond the normal ranges. Increased alcohol and coffee consumption, smoking, lack of physical exercise, obesity, drugs and certain diseases (which influence methionine metabolism). (http://www.homocysteine.net/)

According to Patrick Holford, the author of The New Optimum Nutrition Bible and founder of The Institute for Optimum Nutrition, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight are important risk factors for poor health, but homocysteine takes the cake. He believes, "there is one factor that can determine better than any other whether you will live long and healthy or die young. It’s called homocysteine." The average H score is about 10 units, but an ideal level is below 6 (Holford, 2004, p.140). People with cardiovascular disease have H scores of anything above 15 units. However, the largest review of ninety-two studies by David Wald and colleagues from the Department of Cardiology at Southampton General Hospital in England (cited in Holford, 2004), discovered that just lowering an H score by 10 units, might cut one’s risk for suffering from a heart attack by 75 percent.

it’s actually good. It makes glutathione (the most important antioxidant to the body), and Sam-e (a very important nutrient for the brain and body). The protein becomes dangerous when there are insufficient B vitamins, the enzymes that are responsible for transforming homocysteine into these powerful substances. Through a healthy diet and supplemental regimens we can get sufficient B vitamins to keep homocysteine levels, or the H score (as Holford calls it), low and cut the risk for heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, by half or more (Holford, 2004, p.141).

Holford has designed what he calls "The H Factor Diet," that when combined with lifestyle changes, will help reduce the risk for quietly climbing homocysteine levels. His "diet" is simply a set of dietary recommendations as a way of eating healthy for life. If you really compare the two, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid provides us the same information as Holford as well as many other health experts and food pyramids in the field of nutritional prevention of diseases. Holford recommends eating less fatty meat and more fish and vegetable protein, eating plenty of dark leafy greens, including at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. He says to have either a clove of garlic or take a garlic supplement daily, and highly suggests that you stop salting your food. Cut back on tea and coffee, by not drinking more than one cup of regular or decaffeinated coffee, or two cups of tea. Limit alcohol intake, reduce stress, stop smoking, and start supplementing with a high strength multi-vitamin every day. He also recommends taking homocysteine supplements, for it is the most efficient way to get back to normal H scores, below 6 units. These include B2, B6, B12, folic acid, and zinc. The amount one might take greatly depends on the H score, and thus how many units they are looking for in reduction. For further information on supplementing with these and their guidelines, consult The New Optimum Nutrition Bible, by Patrick Holford.

Homocysteine has been increasingly recognized as an important risk factor for many health concerns today. Increased homocysteine levels in the blood is linked to an increased risk for coronary heart disease, increased chance of having a stroke, and has been linked to the development of dementia, osteoporosis and diabetes. Luckily, proper nutrition and a good supplement program, such as a multi-vitamin and homocysteine vitamins, can decrease the risk for all kinds of health concerns today, permitting longer living, healthier, and happier people. Imagine if only we provided our bodies with the right fuel it needed to run properly, then we might fully understand the capability of life and all that it has to offer.