What is Homocysteine and why is it dangerous?
Studies in the last 30 years show that high levels of the amino acid homocysteine can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. This is why some scientists suggested adding folic acid to food to lower homocysteine levels. It is believed that a lot of cases of hyperhomocystinemia is because of a lack of B vitamins and recent studies show it could be linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, chronic fatigue, arthritis, , diabetes, miscarriage, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and fibromyalgia. However it has not been clearly determined if high homocysteine levels are because of health conditions of if they in turn cause ill health. Homocysteine levels therefore play an important part in natural health.
Homocysteine is an amino acid formed from the metabolism of the Methionine found in meats and dairy products. This can cause too much homocysteine. Often the pathways that form homocysteine can be defective which will increase the concentrations which will cause reduced folate levels or Vitamin B12. Genetic defects can also affect this.
Latest research shows that increased homocysteine levels could point to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It showed greater risk of thrombosis and in some cases elevated homocysteine led to death. However it was hard to determine if homocysteine actually causes disease or if it is an effect on your natural health levels due to cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and other diseases. However other studies showed that deaths occurred even after excluding pre-existing cardiovascular disease and diabetes except in the case of cancer which seemed to have no relation to high homocysteine levels. Amazingly homocysteine in some cases was shown to inhibit some cancer cells.
It also showed that homocysteine accelerated other risk factors such as high cholesterol, blood pressure or smoking. As well as this it has been found there is a link between folate, vitamin B6 deficiency and vascular disease. These vitamins have also been found to lower homocysteine levels and preserve your natural health.
Many studies have shown that B vitamins have an effect on homocysteine. In one study plasma homocysteine levels dropped as levels of folate, cobalamin and pyridoxine rose and people who used these B vitamins seemed to have a higher protection against vascular disease. Supplements such as folate, vitamin B12, B6, betaine all lowered homocysteine levels however there is contention between scientists as to how accurate this information is and what dosages would be to make it work. Some researchers believe it requires all three vitamins for it to work. Scientists have also found links between homocysteine and many other diseases such as cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Folic acid supplements have successfully lowered homocysteine levels having an effect on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. It was found that in some studies the cerebrospinal fluid of all patients with these illnesses had increased levels of homocysteine. The researchers concluded that low vitamin B12 levels, necessary for efficient remethylation of homocysteine, impacted on your natural health state and contributed to the higher homocysteine levels.
Homocysteine has also been found to be associated with cognitive problems and Alzheimer’s disease as it is toxic to the medulloblastoma cells of the brain which could be one reason why high homocysteine levels cause neural tube defects in preborns. This cell type may also be a cause in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. A further link between higher homocysteine levels and psychiatric conditions was also found due to low folate levels.
It was also found that homocysteine affected miscarriages, neural tube defects and/or vitamin B12 deficiencies. Ovarian follicular fluid contains homocysteine, B12, B6, and folate. Follicular fluid provides nourishment by supporting transport from plasma meaning that the egg might be exposed to high homocysteine or low Methionine, and lack vitamins important to fertilization and early embryos.
Pre-eclampsia, a complication of pregnancy with high blood pressure and edema, can lead to eclampsia if not treated which can cause the unborn baby to die. In later pregnancy homocysteine is higher in these women. Also medications such as Dilantin and Tegretol, as well as anaesthetics, can raise homocysteine levels. It is also high in hypothyroidism which could be associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease and lower levels of folate.
The gist of it is that even if homocysteine is just a result of disease, high levels can make you really ill so here is another important reason to take your supplements!
