Homocysteine and folic acid

[Guest guest]

My favorite doc, William Campbell Douglass, II, MD, has just written a wonderful article on the relationship between homocysteine levels and heart attack risk, as well as ways to reduce this risk. I feel this is important information that needs to be passed along to everyone!

 

Linda

 

To boost your ticker, cook steak quicker... By now, you've probably heard about homocysteine. I've been writing about it for nigh on 20 years, and unless you're new to alternative medicine, you've probably heard a bit about how it relates to heart disease...But just in case you've haven't, here's a refresher: Homocysteine is a harmful amino acid your body forms as a by-product of the digestion of certain foods (like well-done steak). Increased homocysteine in the bloodstream is strongly associated with the occurrence of heart disease. This correlation has been common knowledge in alternative medicine circles for years.Your body, however, has a built-in defense mechanism against homocysteine buildup -- it transforms it into a harmless substance called cystathionine, which is flushed from the body in the urine. Again, old news.Here's what's new: Recent research conducted in the Netherlands points to the likelihood that some people are genetically unable to convert homocysteine at a sufficient rate, contributing to unsafe levels in the body and subsequent increased risk of heart disease. This research also studied the effects of a treatment for homocysteine my alternative medicine colleagues and I have been recommending for years: Folic acid. And the results confirmed what I've known all along: Folic acid supplementation lowers homocysteine, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.Now, other studies have shown this in the past. But the Netherlands research took it one step further, concluding that those people with a genetically reduced capacity to process homocysteine were ONLY at increased risk for heart disease when their folic acid levels were low...What that means is this: Even if you're one of those unfortunate souls whose body is ill-equipped to break down homocysteine, folic acid supplementation can "even the playing field" as far as your heart disease risk goes. But taking folic acid isn't the only thing you can do to reduce blood homocysteine -- Vitamins B12 and B6 are also critical for the metabolism of this killer amino acid. Oh, and when you cook steak, prepare it as rare as you can enjoy it -- because the closer to "well done" it is, the more homocysteine you'll produce in digesting it...But don't skip the steak altogether -- it's too good for you! Just be sure to simply replenish your folic acid and B vitamins regularly and you'll be fine.

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