Introduction B12 Foods
Homocysteine is an amino acid that is found in the blood. High levels of homocysteine can damage the lining in the arteries and can increase the blockages in the blood vessel.
A person with a high level of homocysteine is believed to have increased risk of stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and recurrent pregnancy loss.
Remedies and Tips:
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Leafy green vegetables are especially important in your diet. You can lower your homocysteine level by increasing the amount of folate in your diet. Great sources of folate are lettuce, asparagus, lentils and spinach. Fortified grain products, orange juice and breakfast cereals will also help lower your homocysteine level.
2. You can also lower your homocysteine level by eating foods fortified with vitamin B6 and B12. Foods rich in B6 are potatoes, garbanzo beans, salmon, bananas, breakfast cereals and chicken. Good sources of B12 are foods such as beef, organ meats such as liver, dairy products and certain types of fish.
3. Take folate, B6 and B12 supplements. Adjusting your diet may not be enough to lower your level of homocysteine, and daily doses of these three supplements should make a difference. Vitamins B6 and B12 are particularly used to break down the amino acid found in the body. Of course, it is always best to discuss the recommended dosage with your doctor.
4. Abstain from smoking cigarettes. You should also avoid drinking alcohol and coffee. Studies show that both coffee consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with increased levels of homocysteine. These studies are consistent with studies that show that caffeine and cigarette smoking increase the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. As much as possible, don't drink more than one cup of caffeinated coffee or tea in a day.
5. Eat less processed food, saturated fat and meat. Processed food, saturated fat and meat are known to increase the risk of heart disease, and people with high homocysteine levels are advised to eat less of these.
6. Engage in regular exercise. Obesity is a risk factor or even a possible cause for one to have a high level of homocysteine. Staying in shape with physical activity may be able to help keep one's homocysteine level down.
7. Excessive stress is also believed to be possible cause of high levels of homocysteine in the body. A study on clinical and experimental hypertension shows that mental stress can elevate one's heart rate, blood pressure and total homocysteine level in young men. One should engage in stress management strategies in order to help keep the homocysteine level from rising.
If you find that your homocysteine level is still high after following the steps mentioned, then you should seriously consider consulting with a doctor. A doctor may be able to prescribe the proper dosages for your supplements, as well as suggest other lifestyle and dietary changes that could lower your homocysteine level. You may also need additional tests to see if you have another health condition that causes high levels of homocysteine.
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