What is homocysteine?
Homocystine is a
metabolite of the amino acid methionine.
Metabolite: This mean any
substance involve in metabolism. (Whether it be a product of metabolism or as
necessary for metabolism)
Methionine: This is a sulfur
containing amino acid. When not metabolized properly, allows homocysteine to build
up in the blood. Folic acid aids methionine metabolism. When folic acid
levels in the body are low, methionine cannot be metabolized properly and
levels of another chemical, homocysteine, build up in the blood. High blood
homocysteine levels increase risk of heart disease and stroke.
Folic Acid: This is a vitamin of the
B complex, found especially in leafy green vegetables, wheat, broccoli, and some nuts.
What happen when homocysteine
is high in the blood?
1. At
high levels in the blood, it damages the blood vessels, and plaque formation.
- Can also impair the endothelial
function, leading to spasm of vessels, poor relaxation and sudden
involuntary muscular contraction.
- Also associated with
cancer, & Alzheimer’s.
How do we get it?
Some are born with
a rare genetic defect of elevated homocysteine and usually die of heart attacks
or strokes early in life.
Deficiency of any
of 3 vitamins can cause a buildup in the blood:
1.
Folic acid; which can be obtained from green leafy vegetables, oranges, beans
and brown rice
2.
Vitamin B-6; which can be obtained from whole grains, Brewer’s yeast
3.
Vitamin B-12; which can be obtained from Aloe-Vera or from germs formed
in mouth, colon, etc.
How risky is elevated homocysteine?
In the Framingham
Study, those who had levels of 15 or above were 3 times as likely to have a
heart attack, compared to those who had 9 or below.
Avoid Caffeine
One cup of coffee,
tea, or cola may raise the diastolic and systolic blood pressure five to six
points, raise homocysteine, cholesterol, stress.