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| HOMOCYSTEINE |
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| Before You Begin
Information presented here is for general
educational purposes only. Each one of us is biochemically and metabolically
different. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized
nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking
here. |
 Since
the 1980s, research has shown that homocysteine is an important and independent
risk factor of heart disease. Recent studies have also confirmed that a
high homocysteine level also leads to premature
death from a variety of sources, including strokes and cancer.
Researchers at the University of Bergen, for example, studied over 2000
men and 2500 women, aged 65 to 67 years from 1992 onwards. After 5
years, it was shown that for every 5.0 micromol/L increase in homocysteine
levels above the baseline level (9.0 micromol/L),
mortality from all causes increased by 49 percent, cardiovascular mortality
by 50 percent, cancer mortality by 26 percent, and deaths from other causes
(respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous system diseases) by 104
percent. About 78 percent of the study group had homocysteine
levels at or above 9.0 micromol/L and 12 per cent had levels exceeding 15
micromol/L.
These alarming results are obtained after adjusting for cholesterol level,
blood pressure, smoking, body weight, height, physical activity level, cardiovascular
disease risk status at baseline, age and gender.
Those who smoke and drink coffee tend to have the highest homocysteine level,
while those practicing a healthy lifestyle have the lowest. The take
home lesson is simple - lower your homocysteine
level or face risk of pre-mature death.
It is interesting to note that below-normal levels of
vitamin B12 were found in none of the omnivores, but 26% of the vegetarians
and 78% of the vegans had below-normal levels. Elevated homocysteine
was found in 29% of the vegetarians compared with only 5% of the omnivores.
Even though a vegetarian diet can lower serum cholesterol, the opposite
effect on homocysteine could offset any potential benefit.
Fortunately, homocysteine levels can be safely and effectively
lowered naturally by daily supplementation with
a. Folic acid (800 mcg to 10 mg/day),
b. Vitamin B6 (50-100 mg/day)
, and
c. Vitamin B12 (600-1000
mcg/day).
If you do not wish to take nutritional supplements, following the anti-aging
food pyramid will give you the similar results. Because folic acid
and vitamin B are relatively inexpensive, those whose lifestyles are less
than desirable should take these nutrients as an additional insurance.
| Attention
Because of tremendous individual variation,
the use of nutritionals should therefore be personalized for your
body. One person’s nutrient can be another person’s toxin. If you
have a specific health concern and wish my personalized nutritional
recommendation, write to me by clicking
here. |
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