Kosher Vitamins | KosherVitamins.com

account

cart

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $79

Upcoming Passover Closing

Closed from Monday Apr 22 until Tuesday Apr 30.

KosherVitamins.com will be closed for the Holiday of Passover.

Our shipping operations and customer service will be closed From Monday Apr 22 until Tuesday Apr 30. We will re-open Wednesday morning, May 1st.

Shipping
Orders placed before 9am EDT Friday, April 19 will be processed prior to the holiday closing. Orders placed after this time may be processed when we reopen on Wednesday May 1st.

If you specifically DO NOT want it to ship before the holiday, please add a message to the notes during checkout.

We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your business.

Health Information Home

Healthnotes Index:

Search Content

High Homocysteine

Also indexed as:Homocysteine (High), Hyperhomocysteinemia

The lower the better when it comes to homocysteine levels. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

About This Condition

Homocysteine, a normal breakdown product of the essential amino acid methionine, is believed to exert several toxic effects.

A growing body of evidence suggests that an elevated homocysteine level is a risk factor for heart disease, independent of other known risk factors, such as elevated serum cholesterol and hypertension.¹^{, 2} The evidence is not all one-sided, however. In some research the link has appeared only in women,³ and a few scientists still have doubts about the importance of elevations in homocysteine for anyone.⁴ The clear association between elevated homocysteine levels and heart disease reported in most studies⁵ does not conclusively prove that homocysteine causes heart disease. It might only be a marker for something else that is the real culprit.⁶ Nonetheless, many cardiologists take seriously the association between elevations in homocysteine and increased risk of heart disease.

Anger and hostility correlate with the risk of heart disease.⁷^{, 8} A preliminary study found a link between high homocysteine levels and hostility and repressed anger.⁹ While anger, hostility, high homocysteine, and heart disease all appear to be tied together, which of these is cause and which is effect remains somewhat unclear.

Increased homocysteine levels may also be a risk factor for the development of many other conditions, including stroke,¹⁰ thromboembolism¹¹ (blood clots that can dislodge and cause stroke, heart attack, and other complications), osteoporosis,¹²Crohn�s disease, ulcerative colitis,¹³Alzheimer�s disease,¹⁴ death from diabetes,¹⁵ miscarriage,¹⁶^{, 17}^{, 18}^{, 19}^{, 20} other complications of pregnancy,²¹^{, 22}^{, 23}^{, 24}^{, 25} and hypothyroidism.²⁶

Scientists have yet to prove that elevated homocysteine levels cause any of these diseases. However, most doctors believe that high homocysteine increases the risk of at least heart disease. Fortunately, homocysteine levels can easily be reduced with safe and inexpensive B vitamin supplementation.

Symptoms

Extremely high homocysteine can cause blood clots, rapid bone loss, and, in children, mental retardation. But in general, high homocysteine does not cause symptoms until and unless one of the diseases with which it is associated, appears.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

According to a recent study, both cigarette smoking and coffee consumption were associated with increased homocysteine levels.²⁷ These findings are consistent with studies that have found both smoking and caffeine consumption to be associated with an increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. The link between coffee and increased homocysteine has been confirmed by some researchers,²⁸ but not others.²⁹

In one study, a diverse group of people participated in a week-long program that included a strict vegan diet, stress management and spirituality enhancement sessions, group support, and exclusion of tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.³⁰B vitamin supplements known to reduce blood homocysteine levels were not provided. After only one week in the program, the average homocysteine level fell 13%.

References

Learn more about TraceGains, the company.

The information presented by TraceGains is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2024.

Please note that KosherVitamins.com does not process orders from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by KosherVitamins.com or the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

Report a bug on KosherVitamins.com

CATEGORIES

FIND WHAT YOU NEED

INFORMATION

CONTACT US

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $79

High Homocysteine

Related Topics

About This Condition

Symptoms

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Email Exclusives - Sign up to receive amazing deals via email:

Help Center

KosherVitamins.com

Popular Categories

Easy Ways To Shop

Health Resources