Homocysteine – Part 1 - Health Plus Digest

If you’ve been following health news in the past years you’ll know that homocysteine is the new LDL/HDL combination. Researchers and scientists once pointed to cholesterol and triglyceride levels as the ultimate measurement of potential risk for heart attacks and strokes. But today, doctors know that there are other factors that contribute to illnesses and conditions.

So, knowing these other factors can help you to prevent heart disease, stroke and coronary artery disease, homocysteine has also been found to have a role in osteoporosis, concentration and underachievement or diabetes. Understanding homocysteine is one of those factors that will be important in your fight against these conditions.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced by the body as it digests proteins. An elevation in plasma, homocysteine is linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The conversion happens with the ingestion of methionine, commonly found in fish, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken and beef. The methionine is digested and forms homocysteine.

If the body adds a different methyl group to the molecule then S-adenosyl methionine or glutathione is produced – both of which are linked with protection against disease.

Resources:

American Heart Association: Homocysteine, Folic Acid and Cardiovascular Disease

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Homocysteine-Folic-Acid-and-Cardiovascular-Disease_UCM_305997_Article.jsp

Circulation: Homocysteine and MTHFR Mutations

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/111/19/e289.full

Linus Pauling Institute: The Vascular Toxicity of Homocystine and how to Control it

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w99/vascular.html

Annual Review of Medicine: Homocysteine and Cardiovascular Disease

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9509248

PubChem: Homocysteine – Compound Summary

http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=91552

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Dose-Dependent Effects of Folic Acid on Blood Concentrations for Homocysteine