ASK Dr. Wiggy
We invite you to submit your health-related questions to Dr. Weston (Wiggy) Saunders at
AskDrWiggy@NaturalTriad.com. Based on space, he will answer your questions here in the magazine or on WXII-12 News Mornings!
(Your name or any other identifying information will not be made public.) Hi Dr. Wiggy,
My questions are why is it important to lower Homocysteine Levels? When the levels are high, what effect on your body do they have? How do you lower those levels? Kristin
Hi Kristin, This is a very interesting question and one that is not well
understood. To answer your question I will discuss homocysteine’s definition, causes for elevated levels, safe levels, effects on the body, and what can be done to lower it. First, a little background. Homocysteine came into main-
stream media back in 1968 when a Harvard researcher studied a group of children with a genetic defect that caused them to have sharply elevated homocysteine. Children in this group suf- fered severe vascular disease similar to middle-aged patients with a heart attack or stroke. This was the first indication that excess homocysteine might be linked with vascular disease. Further studies confirmed that link, and it is now believed to be an in- dependent risk factor for heart disease or stroke. If that was not bad enough, it has also been associated with a wide range of
STEP OUT OF PAIN The Rossiter Way
Neck & Shoulder Pain • Arm, Wrist & Hand Pain
Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow • Low Back Pain & Sciatica Hip Pain & Knee Pain
• Plantar Fasciitis
health disorders including fibromyalgia, fatigue, depres- sion, macular degeneration, blood clots, congestive heart failure, hearing loss, mi- graines, brain atrophy, and dementia.
So what is homocysteine and what does it do? Basically it is an amino acid byproduct that inflicts damage to the inner arterial lining and other cells of the body. It is produced from methionine that is found in most animal meats and dairy. Several studies have shown that homocysteine can cause damage to the arterial wall via multiple destructive molecular mechanisms. However, a new theory is emerging in which Homocysteine is not the real problem but rather a signal that certain physiological systems are malfunctioning, more on that later.
What is a healthy level? Most clinical testing laboratories con- sider a homocysteine value up to 15 umol/L normal. However, most functional medicine doctors consider an upper limit of 15 too high for optimal health. Studies indicate that homocysteine values >6.3umol/L increase the risk of atherosclerosis, heart at- tack, and stroke. So, I recommend an upper limit of no more than 7umol/L.
What causes elevated levels? Homocysteine levels in the blood can increase due to age, prescription drug use (such as acid reflux medicines and Metformin), deteriorating kidney function, smoking, alcohol, coffee consumption, obesity, and declining levels of physical activity. However, it seems that the biggest problem lies in our ability to get rid of homocysteine.
Kathy Howard, LMBT # 2259 Senior Rossiter Instructor / Massage Terapist
336-708-1727
Kathy@RossiterSoutheast.com
1400 Battleground Avenue, Suite 213 Greensboro, NC
ROSSITER CENTER 22
www.RossiterSoutheast.com NaturalTriad.com
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