There is a sneaky little culprit floating around in your blood that, when allowed to build up, can increase your risk of heart disease.

Unfortunately it’s also looking like this same little perpetrator has been linked to Alzheimer’s too.

I’m talking about homocysteine.

Here’s what you need to know about homocysteine, and how you can minimize your heart disease AND Alzheimer’s risk!

Homocysteine 101

Homocysteine is a sulfur amino acid that comes from your digestion of animal proteins. 

It’s not always a bad guy—as a matter of fact it does serve some valid functions in your body!  Like many other amino acids, it’s used to build and maintain your tissues, and also to form protective little mechanisms in your inner artery walls called GAGs (glycosaminoglycans).

But its dark side is that it is also a very abrasive molecule which can damage your artery walls if there’s too much of it in your blood.

Normally your body controls the amount of homocysteine in your blood with B vitamins.  Vitamins B12 and folate convert about half of your excess homocysteine into methionine (a harmless amino acid) and the other half is converted by vitamin B6 into cysteine, another benign amino acid.

But when you are lacking in these crucial B vitamins, the homocysteine “conversion” can’t be carried out like it should.  As a result, homocysteine can build up in your blood, and you can suffer the resulting artery damage.

Next up: Homocysteine and Alzheimer’s

The relationship between homocysteine and Alzheimer’s is a bit of a chicken or egg situation. 

Doctors have questioned whether low levels of B vitamins are the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, since your brain needs B vitamins to function.

Or is it the fact that low B vitamins leads to elevated homocysteine, and the homocysteine is triggering Alzheimer’s?

Well, one study done of 1,092 people over a 16-year period at the Boston University School of Medicine looked at their brain health and homocysteine levels.  After the 16-years, 111 had developed dementia and 83 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

The findings revealed that the higher the homocysteine levels BEFORE any mental decline, the greater the likelihood of developing dementia and/or Alzheimer’s.  So the study authors concluded that elevated homocysteine is, in fact, an independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s!

It does make sense.  If homocysteine can stir up inflammation in your blood vessels and get you in heart disease trouble, it’s not unreasonable to think that it could have a similar damaging effect to the blood vessels in your brain and impair your brain’s ability to function.

Minimize your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s!

The good news is you can take some very important steps to help control homocysteine and minimize your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s!

Here are ways you can help:

Get tested

Have your doctor do a test to measure your blood level of homocysteine.  A typical normal homocysteine level is between 4.4 and 10.8 micromoles per liter of blood.

Get sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids

Omega-3 EFAs are Nature’s anti-inflammatory and can help counteract any existing arterial inflammation that may be present.  Plus they are vital for proper brain and nervous system health!

Unfortunately, most people are deficient in Omega-3 fats because of our ever-increasing reliance on meats from grain-fed animals and vegetable oils.  These foods are brimming with inflammatory Omega-6 EFAs, but are severely lacking in Omega-3s.  Since we aren’t getting the Omega-3 fats in our diets that we used to, most of us are running seriously low...and we have the inflammation to prove it! 

Fatty fish like salmon are good sources, but most people don’t eat enough fish to provide for their body’s needs.  That’s why a pure, molecularly distilled, pharmaceutical-grade fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 is the way to go. 

Every daily 2-capsule dose of VitalMega-3 provides a health-supporting  1,200 mg of Omega-3 fats, including the EPA and DHA that your brain desperately needs!

Take a multi-vitamin with vitamins E and C, B6, B12 and folate

Super Core multi-vitamin and mineral formula fills these important needs and much more!  In addition to the crucial B vitamins (B6, B12 and folate) needed to control homocysteine, Super Core contains the  antioxidant vitamins E and C, as well as other antioxidants including zinc, selenium and alpha-lipoic acid.

Having enough antioxidants in your system to counter free radicals is essential, as free radicals are another disease-causing monster that can raise your risk of heart disease if they are allowed to get out of control. 

Super Core also gives you natural sources of anti-inflammatories, including turmeric, Boswellia and ginger, to further help keep inflammation low in your body!

Now that’s complete!

Eat nutrient and antioxidant-rich foods

These include berries, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans and peppers.

Avoid processed foods, refined carbs and unhealthy fats

Processed foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, salt, sugar and refined carbs—all of which do your blood vessels, heart and brain no good at all. 

Instead they stir up inflammation, provide little to no nutrients, pack the pounds on you and ruin your digestion to boot!

Don’t be fooled by clever marketing, especially by companies who make “heart healthy” margarines or breakfast cereals.  Margarines are made with heated polyunsaturated oils, and when the oils are heated, they form compounds that are as deadly as trans-fats. 

And with cereals, they are likely laced with glyphosate (Monsanto’s cancer-causing herbicide) and are made with GMO grains.

Get some exercise

Exercise is literally the fountain of youth, and your entire body will benefit. 

No need to get fancy—even walking or dancing to your favorite music can help!

Get going and help keep heart disease and Alzheimer’s out of your future!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia