Keeping your heart and brain healthy

Do you know there is a connection between homocysteine ​​and the health of your heart and brain?

Homocysteine ​​is a type of amino acid (building block of proteins) that is produced by the human body during protein metabolism. It is not obtained from the diet. The body produces homocysteine ​​from the amino acid methionine in the diet through a multi-stage process. After that, the body uses folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 to recycle homocysteine ​​back into methionine or convert it to another amino acid cysteine.

At normal levels, homocysteine ​​is not dangerous or unhealthy. But when homocysteine ​​is not metabolized properly, it builds up within the body and acts as a toxin. Elevated homocysteine ​​levels cause increased inflammation, damage the lining of the arteries, and increase the risk of blood clots, resulting in blockages.

A clot within the blood vessel is called a thrombus. A thrombus can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in the lungs (a pulmonary embolism), the brain (a stroke), or the heart (a heart attack). People who have abnormally high homocysteine ​​levels are at increased risk for coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Many studies have shown that elevated homocysteine ​​levels are also bad for the brain. Elevated homocysteine ​​damages DNA and induces cell death, leading to brain atrophy or shrinkage in dementia. It increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other mental abnormalities such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

What Causes High Homocysteine?

Most adults are unaware that they have elevated homocysteine ​​levels, as they may not have any symptoms. A simple blood test can determine your condition. However, doctors do not order the test routinely unless patients have a family history of heart disease. Therefore, you may want to ask your doctor about it.

• The optimal level is below 8 umo / L.

• A reading greater than 10 umo / L is considered high and is associated with an increased risk of heart attack.

• Above 15 umo / L, it is a medical condition called hyperhomocysteinemia. At these levels, the prevalence of dementia, along with cognitive and functional decline, is almost double.

High homocysteine ​​can be due to several factors:

Vitamin deficiencies

To maintain normal homocysteine ​​levels, the body needs folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, which are obtained from the diet. Deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to increased levels.

Genetics

People born with the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene mutation produce less of the enzymes normally used to metabolize homocysteine. This metabolic disorder is like an enzyme defect and is passed from parent to child. It is estimated that up to 30-50 percent of the population may carry a mutation in this MTHFR gene. The severity and type of symptoms vary from person to person depending on how many fewer enzymes a person produces as a result of the MTHFR mutation. The reduction can range from 10 to 30 percent to 70 to 90 percent.

People with the MTHFR mutation are likely to have higher homocysteine ​​levels, increased inflammation, and risk of heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, difficult pregnancies, anxiety and depression, fatigue, and an impaired ability to detoxify.

How do you know if you have the MTHFR mutation? These days, genetic testing can easily be done with a saliva test kit that is ordered at www.23andme.com. It is inexpensive and non-invasive. He collects the saliva sample at home and mails it to the lab.

Stress

Stress-induced neurotransmitters (epinephrine and norepinephrine) are metabolized in the liver through a process that also uses folate. As a result, chronic high stress can result in a depletion of this critical B vitamin that is key to maintaining normal homocysteine ​​levels.

Too much animal protein

High consumption of animal protein, especially unhealthy processed red meats like cold cuts, bacon, and canned meats from factory farm animals, can lead to high homocysteine ​​levels.

Excess caffeine

Drinking too much coffee and energy drinks can deplete the body of vital B vitamins, which are essential for normal homocysteine ​​metabolism.

How to keep homocysteine ​​levels under control

Improve your diet

High homocysteine ​​not only increases inflammation, it also makes it harder for the body to detoxify accumulated chemicals, heavy metals, and toxins. Therefore, by eating healthier foods, you can lessen the burden that a poor diet places on your body.

• Reduce your intake of inflammatory foods such as sugar, fried foods, processed meats, factory farm meats, conventional dairy products, vegetable oils, trans fats, and preservatives. Eat mostly organic and unprocessed foods.

• Get plenty of antioxidants to fight inflammation by consuming more different colored vegetables or drinking vegetable juice daily.

• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol. Too much caffeine increases homocysteine ​​levels, and alcohol is inflammatory.

• Focus on healthy fats like coconut oil and milk, olive oil, butter and grass-fed meats, wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, avocado, nuts, and seeds.

• Increase your consumption of fermented foods, as the supply of good bacteria can help reduce inflammation in the body. Examples include fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles, unsweetened yogurt and kefir, kombucha, and tempeh.

Get enough folate

Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is found naturally in foods like beans, legumes, liver, spinach, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, and beets.

Folate primarily helps the body make new cells, specifically by playing a role in DNA copying and synthesis. It also helps the body use vitamin B12 and amino acids. If you are not in the habit of eating vegetables every day, you may be at risk for folate deficiency. Symptoms include:

• elevated homocysteine ​​levels

• anemia

• poor immune function

• poor digestion

• ulcers on the tongue

• changes in hair or skin pigmentation

• birth defects

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate found in lower-quality supplements and “fortified foods,” such as orange juice and refined cereals.

For those with the MTHFR mutation, their bodies will not be able to convert folic acid to folate. If you’ve been taking folic acid supplements and your homocysteine ​​levels are still high, this may be the reason. Therefore, you must get more folate from your diet or take the active form of folate supplements. Look for 5-MTHF (5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate) on the label. Avoid products that say “folic acid.”

Have enough vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. The best food sources are turkey breast, chicken breast, grass-fed beef, pinto beans, chickpeas, avocado, pistachio, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and amaranth grain. .

Vitamin B6 is necessary for:

• regulate homocysteine ​​levels in the blood

• keep blood vessels healthy

• control blood pressure and cholesterol levels

• support brain function and mood

• help treat anemia

• protect eye and skin health

• prevent or reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

For people living in the Western world, it is quite rare to have a vitamin B6 deficiency, as most people consume enough calories and do not experience malnutrition.

Get enough vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, also called cyanocobalamin, is found primarily in foods of animal origin such as beef and chicken liver, seafood, and meats.

• For this reason, vegans and plant-based eaters are more likely to develop a vitamin B12 deficiency. Unfortunately, algae foods, such as blue-green algae, which are popular with vegans, are not a very absorbable source of vitamin B12.

• Older people with impaired digestion are also more susceptible to deficiency because they tend to produce less stomach acid than is needed to properly convert vitamin B12.

• Other high-risk groups include smokers, alcoholics, people with anemia, and digestive disorders such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, gastritis, or other disorders of the stomach and small intestine.

Vitamin B12 benefits your mood, energy level, memory, heart, skin, hair, digestion, hormonal balance, and more. Therefore, a deficiency can appear in many different symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, mood swings, poor memory, joint pain, muscle aches, heart problems such as palpitations or a feeling of exhaustion.

As a supplement, vitamin B12 can be taken in tablet form, drops that are placed under the tongue, or as an oral spray. Sometimes older people do better with oral drops and sprays, as they have trouble absorbing the vitamin from the stomach.

All B vitamins are water soluble, which means that the body has the ability to eliminate any excess through urine. Therefore, the B vitamins are considered safe and non-toxic.

Maintain a high level of omega-3s

Studies have shown that homocysteine-lowering B vitamins require healthy blood levels of omega-3s for cognitive benefits. When omega-3 levels are low, the B vitamins have no effect.

Therefore, to protect your brain from premature aging, make sure you have enough B vitamins and omega-3s. Eat several servings of mercury-free fish, such as wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, and herring every week, or take a high-quality omega-3 supplement every day.

Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity helps reduce inflammation, control stress levels, and improve sleep quality, immune function, hormonal balance, and body weight control. Find a type of activity that you enjoy and stick with it. People who exercise into old age tend to have a better quality of life.