Zöld Újság - The role of homocysteine in cardiovascular disease

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is essential for maintaining normal cellular function, but high homocysteine levels have undesirable effects. There are two ways to get rid of excess homocysteine:

• Two enzymes help the body - in the presence of vitamin B12 and B9 (folate) - into methionine.
• It is converted by the enzyme BHMT in the liver - betaine and vitamin B6 - which can then be excreted in the urine.

Harmful effects of high homocysteine levels

• It damages the inner surface of blood vessels.
• It increases the adhesion of platelets to each other and thus the risk of blood vessel blockage.
• Increases blood clotting.
• Damages the ability of blood vessels to dilate.
• It inhibits the antioxidant activity of glutathione peroxidase, which plays a crucial role in neutralising harmful oxygen radicals.

So far more than 100 diseases or conditions have been identified that are associated with elevated blood plasma homocysteine levels. The most common associations are with cardiovascular disease and central nervous system disease.

What can cause my homocysteine level to be high?

• inherited genetic disorders (faulty genes)
• dietary habits: higher intake of animal protein, fat and sugar; low intake of vitamin B9 (folate)
• medicines you take: cholestyramine, insulin, metformin, oestrogen, tamoxifen, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, methotrexate, thiazide diuretics, sulphasalazine.
• ageing
• smoking
• oxidative stress: a shift in the free radical - antioxidant balance in the wrong direction

What is the normal homocysteine level?

Blood homocysteine levels can be measured in the laboratory and range from 5.0 to 15.0 μmol/l (measured by high-performance liquid chromatography - HPLC) or 5.0 to 12.0 μmol/l (determined by immunoassay) in healthy people. More recently, even lower levels (10 μmol/l) set the level at which above the homocysteine level is already a risk factor.

What are the chances that I have inherited faulty genes?

A study published in 2001 EU on the basis of an investigation a gene defect inherited from only one parent (heterozygous C/T) was present in 45.2%, while a gene defect inherited from both parents (homozygous T/T) was present in 11.1%.

So more than half of the Hungarian population has this gene defect. This gene defect, which occurs at base 677 of the MTHFR gene, impairs the function of the enzyme that regulates homocysteine levels.

Where the gene defect is inherited from both parents (homozygous T/T), the homocysteine-lowering enzyme is impaired by 50-60%.

In the case of a gene defect inherited from only one parent (heterozygous C/T), a 25-30% relapse occurs.

How can I tell if I have a genetic problem and if I have high homocysteine levels?

If you have a family history of any of the following conditions, you are very likely to be affected: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia, thrombosis, cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, SARS-Cov2 infection with serious outcomes.

How can I get the right amount of betaine, B6, B9 (folate) and B12?

The following foods contain the highest amounts of betaine: wheat bran, wheat germ, spinach, beetroot, wheat bread, biscuits. However, the amount of betaine needed to favourably affect homocysteine cannot be consumed with a normal meal, so supplementation may be recommended for those affected.

 The Hungarian population's intake of vitamin B9 (folate) is also very low (spinach and leguminous vegetables contain the highest amounts), only about a third of the dietary recommendations.

GALLMET HEART PLUS

GALLMET HEART PLUS is a new food supplement on the market. The capsules contain betaine, B6, B9 (folate), B12 vitamins which contribute to the proper homocysteine levels in the body.

GALLMET HEART PLUS is available in pharmacies and can be ordered from our webshop!