Definition: An amino acid produced by the body. A healthy level of homocysteine in the blood is less than 12 micromoles per liter. People with higher homocysteine levels have a higher risk of heart attacks, vascular disease, and strokes. This is because homocysteine can damage the lining of the arteries and can also make it harder for blood to clot properly. High homocysteine levels also appear to increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Ways to reduce high homocysteine levels include (1) eating less meat, (2) eating more fruits and vegetables that contain folate (especially lentils, asparagus, spinach and most beans), (3) eating more foods that contain vitamin B-6 (such as bananas, potatoes, and chickpeas), and (4) taking supplements of folic acid (folate), vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12.
