Should Sublingual B12 Be Used To Combat Homocysteine?
It is estimated that 5%-20% of Americans have an elevated homocysteine level. What does this mean to you, and is TriVita Sublingual B12 your best B12 solution to the problem ?
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced from the breakdown of protein during digestion, but it can only be metabolized by the body if the right B vitamins are present. A scarcity of these B vitamins , chiefly folate (folic acid) and B12 , can lead to increased blood homocysteine levels. This, in turn, can cause injury to the coronary and other arteries by directly injuring their vessel wall thus promoting clot creation . Damaged arteries can, eventually , lead to the advancement of atherosclerosis resulting in the formation of plaques that decrease arterial blood flow. These atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries increase the risk for heart attack, and plaques in the arteries leading to the brain (cerebrovascular disease) raise the risk for stroke. A high blood level of homocysteine has been linked to both conditions . So, it is critical that homocysteine be kept at nontoxic levels. Do we know if homocysteine should be regarded as an independent risk factor for heart disease? This is a good question. We find the answer in the research. The British Medical Journal (BMJ) describes an examination of 72 studies in its November 23, 2002 issue which lends significant support for a strong relationship between homocysteine and cardiovascular disorder . It was concluded by the researchers that lessening homocysteine concentrations in the blood considerably lowers the danger of ischemic heart disease, stroke, and even deep vein thrombosis which is a serious clotting condition not directly related to atheroscler
About The Study
English researchers pooled data from seventy-two investigations to do a meta-analysis and arrive at their outcome . Several of those studies were too small by themselves to be statistically legitimate . The researchers in effect created a large study by performing a meta-analysis. This approach can many times give significant conclusions where lesser , single studies cannot. The investigators searched scientific databases to find two different types of studies:
- Studies that considered homocysteine levels by amassing blood samples, waited to see who developed certain ailments and made assessments between those with elevated homocysteine levels and corresponding controls.
- Studies reporting the prevalence of mutated MTHFR gene in cardiovascular disease cases and controls. (MTHFR studies)
The disease outcomes for the studies included death from ischemic heart disease, non-fatal heart attack, fatal stroke, and non-fatal stroke. The disease outcomes for MTHFR studies included ischemic heart disease identified through angiography (an imaging test to identify atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries), heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, or stroke. All studies combined, there were 62 ischemic heart disease studies, 15 stroke studies and 26 deep venous thrombosis studies involving a total of 20,669 cases .
What Was Learned?
The researchers adjusted the data in an effort to make the study measurements comparable, and further adjustments were made for certain cardiovascular disease risk factors such as: age, sex, smoking, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol. Overall, the authors found a major tie between elevated homocysteine levels and the three diseases they studied . They specifically concluded that decreasing homocysteine concentrations by 3 micrograms per liter of blood (which can be accomplished by increasing folic acid intake) would shrink the danger of ischemic heart disease by 11%-20%, deep vein thrombosis 8%-38%, and stroke by 15%-33%.
They also established that subjects with an abnormal folate metabolism due to a MTHFR mutation were at an increased jeopardy for both moderately increased homocysteine levels and their associated cardiovascular outcomes. These outcomes do seem promising , but there are limits to this study. This is because in a meta-analysis the people admitted to one trial will most likely differ significantly from those who were enrolled in another. This often makes it invalid to directly contrast the experience of individual people. Another limiting factor is that the quality of this meta-analysis is reliant on the value of all of the studies it contained. The authors did have exclusion criteria, but there did not appear to be an evaluation of the quality of the studies they included. Also, changes made in adjusting the data to make the study measurements comparable could have affected the study outcomes in ways that are difficult to decide . And, it did not appear that all of the authors of the studies adjusted for medications, supplements, diet, physical activity, and other such factors that could have influenced a person’s chances of having increased homocysteine levels or being at risk for the three disease outcomes.
Are You Affected?
The study indicates it is a good goal to keep your homocysteine levels in the normal (safe) range. And, other research has shown that sufficient folic acid and vitamin B-12 intake can diminish the blood level of homocysteine, thereby, diminishing the risks associated with it. This does not mean, however, that folate and B12 can, or should, automatically be substituted for cholesterol-lowering and other medications that are regularly used for heart disease. However, use of B-vitamin supplements may be cheap insurance against a scarcity that can allow homocysteine to get out of control. Discussion of this alternative with your medical doctor is reasonable .
Below, you will find some suggestions for getting more folic acid into your diet by eating foods. Research has shown that folic acid intake in the early days of pregnancy helps prevent certain birth defects. Therefore, the federal government has mandated that a number of grain products be fortified with folic acid, including:
- Rice
- Pasta
- Breakfast cereals
- Most enriched breads
- Flour
- Cornmeal
Foods that naturally contain folic acid include:
- Leafy dark green vegetables
- Legumes (dried beans and peas)
- Citrus juices and fruits
- Most berries
Some people suffer from a lack of the intrinsic factor required to absorb B12 . These people can not get the B12 they need from their diet and find ordinary B12 supplements inaffective. These individuals may want to disuss with their physician the use of a sublingual B12 alternative.
