Several of us in the world of alternative medicine have been talking about the importance of homocysteine (an amino acid in the blood) for decades, but traditional medicine has only recently acknowledged its importance — and then for only a few conditions.
During this period of intellectual Dark Ages, hundreds of studies have been done showing the powerful link between even modest elevations in homocysteine and human diseases of various sorts. Yet, traditional medicine is always the last to accept even the obvious.
Despite compelling evidence that elevated homocysteine was a better indicator of heart attack and stroke risk than cholesterol, doctors continued to rely on cholesterol levels, primarily because the “elite” of medicine were on the payroll of statin drug makers. (For the latest information on how to protect your heart, see my report "New Heart Revelations.")
There were no drugs to lower homocysteine, and the beneficial nutrients that did lower it cannot be patented by the pharmaceutical companies — yet!
What has intrigued me is why homocysteine would be linked to such diverse conditions as heart disease, neurological birth defects, mental decline, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia. There is extensive evidence that homocysteine is metabolized into a series of potent toxins, all of which produce high levels of free radicals, lipid peroxidation products, and powerful excitotoxins. Some of the major metabolites include homocysteine sulfinic acid, homocysteic acid, cysteine sulfinic acid, and cysteic acid. All either act like glutamate or aspartate, both powerful excitotoxins when present in excess.
Homocysteine sulfinic acid stimulates receptors that lead to excitotoxicity, not only in the brain, but also in the lining of blood vessels (heart attacks and strokes), in the developing brain (birth defects), in the heart (heart failure), and even in a number of cancers.
Keeping homocysteine levels low and using nutrients such as antioxidants can protect tissues. A list of protective nutrients would include vitamin B-6, B-12, folate and betaine, as well as all of the antioxidant vitamins, magnesium, curcumin, quercetin, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, resveratrol, vitamin D-3, and silymarin. My special report "Key Vitamins that Save Your Heart, Prevent Cancer and Keep You Living Long"will give you more details.
Being in charge of your own health is becoming even more crucial than in the past. For a detailed discussion of how to take charge of your health in the wake of government-controlled healthcare, see my newsletter "Use Prevention to Take Control of Your Healthcare."
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