How to Lower Homocysteine
Drinking milk and eating yogurt, cereal, peppers and cruciferous vegetables lowers homocysteine
Multivariate-adjusted total homocysteine concentrations were approximately 15.2% higher in subjects who never consumed milk than in those who consumed milk >30 times/mo, approximately 6.4% higher in subjects who never consumed yogurt than in those who consumed yogurt >15 times/mo, approximately 7.4% higher in subjects who never consumed cold breakfast cereals than in those who consumed cold breakfast cereals >30 times/mo, approximately 6.3% higher in subjects who never consumed peppers (includes red, yellow, green, and hot chili peppers) than in those who consumed peppers >30 times/mo, and approximately 16.5% higher in subjects who never consumed cruciferous vegetables than in those who consumed cruciferous vegetables >30 times/mo. Consumption of citrus fruit and juices, cheese, meats, coffee, or tea had no significant association with plasma total homocysteine.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/6/1500
Folate and riboflavin lower homocysteine
Folate and riboflavin, but not vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12, were inversely related to serum total homocysteine after adjustment for confounders.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15585761
Low folate associated with high homocysteine
Our results confirmed that the MTHFR 677 C to T mutation, especially in lower serum folate concentration status, results in the increase of serum total homocysteine levels which is bad for cognitive function and indicates that higher serum folate level is of benefit in keeping lower serum total homocysteine level and better cognitive function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20670473
B6, B12, and folate all individually lower homocysteine
Average intake of vitamin B6 was 2.26 mg/day in men and 2.03 mg/day in women, of vitamin B12 - 5.85 microg/day and 3.69 microg/day, and folate 258 microg/day and 211 microg/day, respectively. The recommended levels of intake were not achieved by 16% of men and 36% of women for vitamin B6, 32% and 51% for vitamin B12, and 78% and 90% for folate, respectively. The homocysteine level (after adjustment for age, smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption) and prevalence of hyper-homocysteine (> or = 12 micromol/l) decreased with increasing number of quartile of vitamins B6 and B12 in both genders and folate in men. In multivariable linear regression analysis an inverse association between the homocysteine level and intake of vitamin B6 and folate in both genders, and vitamin B12 in men, was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: An inverse association between vitamins B6, B12 and folate consumption and homocysteine concentration and prevalence of hyper-homocysteine was observed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20411451
Choline and betaine lower homocysteine
Choline or betaine supplementation in humans reduces concentration of total homocysteine, and plasma betaine is a strong predictor of plasma total homocysteine in individuals with low plasma concentration of folate and other B vitamins (vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) in combination TT genotype of the MTHFR 677 C->T polymorphism.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20446114
Phytate (found in soy, beans, and nuts) lowers homocysteine
Soy protein with native phytate significantly reduced total homocysteine, transferrin saturation, and ferritin, whereas soy protein with native isoflavones had no effect on any variables.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023703
N-acetyl cysteine lowers homocysteine in healthy young females
Oral N-acetylcysteine supplementation in nine young healthy females induced a quick and highly significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels and an increase in whole blood concentration of the antioxidant glutathione. N-acetylcysteine impresses as an efficient drug in lowering homocysteine concentration and might be beneficial for individuals with hyperhomocysteinemia who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113295
Exercise and Homocysteine
Exercise lowered homocysteine by 27%; 6 months of walking briskly, 24 minutes a day
We examined the effects of exercise on plasma total homocysteine concentrations in young overweight or obese PCOS women. (23.8 ± 5.0 min of brisk walking per day). A significant decrease in plasma total homocysteine concentrations (10.06 to 7.36 µmol/liter) and a significant increase in maximal oxygen consumption were recorded at 6 months, compared with baseline in the exercise group. This decrease in homocysteine was not explained by changes in anthropometric or biochemical parameters. In contrast, no significant changes in any of the variables were observed in the nonexercise group. In both groups of women, blood levels of vitamin B12, folate, free T4 , insulin, and creatinine, factors known to influence homocysteine levels, were not significantly different between baseline and observation at 6 months. In multiple variable models, only age in years was statistically significantly associated with homocysteine levels.
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/reprint/87/10/4496.pdf
Acute, intense exercise raises homocysteine
Our results show that higher plasma concentrations of total homocysteine after an acute intense exercise are associated to higher concentrations of reduced homocysteine, and this effect is independent of the type of exercise, vitamin status, or amino acid metabolic stress but could be related to potential changes in the renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568194
Recent research suggests that intense, long duration exercise raises plasma homocysteine levels, perhaps by increasing the load on methionine metabolism.
http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajbb/ajbb62116-119.pdf
Physical fitness is not related to lower homocysteine
In this sample no association was found between level of cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma total homocysteine in men or women.
http://www.ima.org.il/imaj/ar09feb-03.pdf
Physical fitness is not related to homocysteine levels in normal weight young women
We assessed the influence of recreational physical activity in young healthy women on homocysteine, a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Participants were 124 23-year-old normal-weight Italian recreational athletes (performing 8.7 h week exercise) and 116 controls. Median blood homocysteine, folate and lipid markers did not differ between athletes and controls. Elevated homocysteine levels at CVD risk were not different between groups. Continuous homocysteine was inversely related to folate, positively associated with age and creatinine, but not associated with hours of exercise, body mass index, and lipid markers. Women with folate depletion were 4.5-fold more likely to have homocysteine > or =15.0 micromol l. Recreational physical exercise does not adversely impact homocysteine levels among young women. Only low folate significantly increases the risk for hyperhomocysteinemia in young women.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18853178