Homocysteine is an amino acid, your body produces, in most cases as a by-product of consumed meat. High levels of Homocysteine in the blood (more than 10 micromoles/liter) have been linked to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries ( a dangerous condition called atherosclerosis, that when aggravated can result in heart attack or stroke ), heart diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

So how does Homocysteine level increase? Normally, folic acid, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6 help transform or breakdown the Homocysteine into methionine and cysteine, however, when there are insufficient amounts of these vitamins, it may inhibit the transformation of Homocysteine into methionine and cysteine, leading to Homocysteine build up in the blood. Consequently, if one consumed enough folic acid, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6 it will help lower Homocysteine levels in the blood, and the risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease would also diminish. Moreover, lowering cholesterol combined with reducing Homocysteine levels in the blood would reduce the risk of heart disease even more.

Therefore, it is imperative for people with high blood cholesterol levels to monitor their homocysteine levels regularly to further prevent the increased risk of athersclerosis and heart disease.

High levels of homocysteine can also oxidize the good cholesterol also known as HDL (high density lipoprotein), transforming it into oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein. Normally, HDL is responsible for cleansing the arteries from excess LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol that sticks into blood vessel walls, builds up into plague and promotes atherosclerosis), but when HDL is transformed by homocysteine into an oxidized LDL, it can do more harm to the arteries than LDL itself. That is why it is so important to check your homocysteine levels along with your efforts to lower cholesterol, because falling to lower homocysteine levels can practically neutralize your efforts to reduce cholesterol and even cause greater damage to your arteries, increased clogging leading to higher risks for heart disease.

Low cholesterol diet, including the intake of necessary vitamins and minerals needed to lower LDL cholesterol, raise the HDL cholesterol and not less important balance homocysteine levels (folic acid and B complex vitamins), is an imperative step toward preventing chronic conditions related to high cholesterol and elevated homocysteine levels such as atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.