Guest guest Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 Thu, 25 Mar 2004 11:45:09 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Mrs. Howell's Secret Mrs. Howell's Secret Health Sciences Institute e-Alert March 25, 2004 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, You wouldn't buy a house after looking at it just from the outside. The exterior is important, but you'd want to look around inside of course, check the foundation, the plumbing, the roof, the yard, the neighborhood. Along the same lines, it's hard for me to understand why anyone would assess cardiovascular health by looking just at cholesterol levels when there are other factors to consider that are far more important. And yet all too often, when LDL levels are high, doctors write the scrip for a statin drug and feel that this alone is an adequate therapy for addressing arteriosclerosis and heart disease. But this narrow protocol can leave high levels of homocysteine, triglycerides and C-reactive protein unchecked and untreated. Today we'll focus on just one of those other factors - homocysteine - with some study results that reveal an effective way to help keep homocysteine levels in check. ----------------------------- First, the folate factor ----------------------------- Homocysteine is an amino acid that promotes the buildup of plaque on blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., believes that homocysteine is a far more important indicator of arteriosclerosis risk than cholesterol. In previous e-Alerts, Dr. Spreen has told us how homocysteine metabolism depends on nutrients such as folate, vitamin B6 and B12. That's why homocysteine levels drop when folate intake is increased. However, it doesn't always happen quite that easily. Most people who raise their dietary folate intake - by eating asparagus, lentils, chickpeas, most varieties of beans, and especially spinach and other leafy green vegetables - respond with a lower homocysteine reading. But if the diet doesn't do the trick, then vitamin supplements often will. In the e-Alert " World Domination - Part II " (9/17/02), Dr. Spreen outlined his recommendations for folate supplementation: " Low doses of folate may work in many individuals, but for some the requirements may be as high as 20 mg of folic acid, which isn't available in the U.S. due to a moronic decision of the FDA years ago (only 0.8 mg is available without a prescription). But the FDA only has jurisdiction over what dosage can be sold - not the amount you may choose to take in your own home, so my recommendation is that high homocysteine individuals might consider 5 milligrams of folic acid, 100 milligrams of B-6, and 1 milligram of B-12 (the last taken under the tongue, not orally). In a great many cases 0.8 milligrams of folate, 50 milligrams of B-6, and 1 milligram of B-12 will do the trick. " To that advice, Dr. Spreen suggested one more supplement that can help address elevated homocysteine: " In some cases even the higher amount of folate isn't adequate, and the addition of TMG (trimethylglycine, also called 'betaine') is necessary, from 500-1200 milligrams daily. " And now a recent study confirms that betaine may be very effective in quickly lowering homocysteine. ----------------------------- Short term & long term ----------------------------- As reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands enrolled 76 subjects who were divided into four groups of 19 subjects each. For six weeks, one group received 1.5 grams of a betaine supplement daily, another received 3 grams, another received 6 grams, and the fourth group received a placebo. Throughout the testing period, researchers measured homocysteine levels in two ways: with a methionine loading test (see below), and a fasting homocysteine blood test. Results were immediate. After just one day, the 1.5-gram group had an average homocysteine level 16 percent lower than the average of the placebo group. In the 6-gram group, the average was a full 35 percent lower than the placebo subjects. At the end of the study period the results were even more impressive. Subjects in the 1.5-group had an average homocysteine level of 23 percent lower than placebo, and in the 6-gram group the average level was 40 percent lower. The Wageningen researchers concluded that these significant drops in homocysteine showed that a betaine-rich diet might lower cardiovascular disease risk. In addition to lowering homocysteine levels, betaine also assists in the processing of fats in the liver. And some studies have shown that betaine may help protect the liver from damage caused by chemicals and excessive alcohol consumption. Dietary sources of betaine include beets, fish and legumes. Supplements of betaine usually comprise sugar beet extract. ----------------------------- Test types ----------------------------- The next time you have a physical exam, ask your doctor to conduct a methionine loading test, which is considered to be more accurate in assessing homocysteine concentrations than a fasting homocysteine level blood test. As we age, homocysteine tends to increase, and this is especially true for postmenopausal women. So it's important to regularly test for this key heart disease marker, and then supplement as necessary with folate, vitamins B-6 and B- 12, and betaine. ************************************************************** To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/freecopy.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. ************************************************************** ... and another thing There seem to be two FDAs. There's the FDA that wants to step up regulation of dietary supplements. And then there's the FDA that often seems to be barely concerned when adverse reports of an approved drug start flowing in. That's the case with an antidepressant drug called Serzone. A lawsuit attempting to force the FDA to ban the drug has been filed by the consumer group Public Citizen. According to the suit, Serzone has been associated with 39 confirmed cases of severe liver damage, 55 cases of liver failure and 20 deaths. The FDA's reaction? An Associated Press report states that the FDA maintains that Serzone-related liver failure is rare and " adequately managed by warning patients. " All the well-known warnings about ephedra weren't enough to save the herb from being banned. But the Serzone warnings? They're adequate. In 2002 - eight years after Serzone's initial approval - the FDA required Serzone labels to carry a warning about possible liver damage displayed in a black box. The Public Citizen suit claims that in the months since the black-box warning appeared, there have been more reports of liver failure than there were in the first eight years. According to an FDA spokesperson, the agency is " reviewing the issue. " The primary Serzone issue is that it contains a chemical that blocks a liver enzyme required to metabolize drugs. The result: The active ingredients may be delivered to the blood stream at levels so high that some patients have a toxic reaction. While FDA officials review the matter, we don't really need an official ban to know what course to take. If you know someone who's taking this drug, help get the word out that there are other, much safer methods to address depression. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: " Low Dose Betaine Supplementation Leads to Immediate and Long Term Lowering of Plasma Homocysteine in Healthy Men and Women " Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 133, No. 12, December 2003, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov " Betaine Supplementation Lowers Homocysteine in Healthy Men and Women " Life Extension Foundation, December 22, 2003, lef.org " Consumer Group Seeks Ban on Antidepressant " Associated Press, 3/15/04, msnbc.com Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please visit here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.