When you consider that nearly 20% of all heart attacks and strokes in the world today are the result of elevated homocysteine levels, you’d want to make sure your levels are not high.
As far back as the mid 1960’s research by Dr Kilmer McCully linked elevated homocysteine to cardiovascular disease. So what is this homocysteine?
Homocysteine is a by-product of metabolising (breaking down) protein, in particular the amino acid methionine. Methionine is found in large quantities in meats, eggs, milk, cheese, white flour, canned foods and processed foods. While our body required methionine to survive, you can see from the list of foods that contain large quantities of this nutrient, that we get lots of it. Our body normally converts homocysteine into either cysteine or back to methionine. When the enzymes needed to keep homocysteine low are deficient, the levels of homocysteine in the blood begin to rise.
Throughout the past 50 years, research linking elevated homocysteine to heart attackshas been kept quiet. This hasn’t stopped other dedicated health professionals including Dr Meir Stampfer in 1990 and Dr Jacob Selhub 1995 from continuing this important research. The results remain the same; elevated homocysteine contributes to coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
So how do you keep homocysteine low? By taking correct B-vitamin supplements – that is not synthetic vitamins. Speak to your qualified natural health practitioner and don’t grab just any product off the shelf.