For many years, clogged arteries were thought to be the cause of heart disease, but the clogging itself only comes about as a result of the damage caused by homocysteine. The theory has been assessed in several scientific studies.
The Physicians’ Health Study showed that, “Men with plasma homocysteine concentrations that were 12 percent above the upper limit of normal had approximately a threefold increase in the risk of myocardial infarction, as compared with those with lower levels, even after correction for other risk factors.”
From Homocysteine and Atherothrombosis -
It is now widely acknowledged by scientists that pure cholesterol does not cause arteriosclerosis and that elevation of blood cholesterol is a symptom, not a cause of heart disease.
Your diet is a critical part of the equation.
You may be asking yourself: if cholesterol is a symptom, rather than a cause of heart disease, why aren’t the French in the same boat?
The answer lies in our Western diet and poor lifestyle habits. Think about all the fast food restaurants, convenience stores filled with junk food, or even the over-processed foods that sit on the shelves of every grocery store—this food has little or no nutritional value. Yet, it has become a part of the lifestyle in North America, whereas in France, fast and over-processed food is only beginning to make its way into their cuisine.
Our fast food mindset—combined with the depletion of vital minerals in our soils—has led to multiple deficiencies of essential nutrients. And due to our poor health choices, North Americans are generally depleted of the essential B vitamins.
And without the B vitamins, homocysteine becomes toxic and damages your artery walls, practically inviting fats and cholesterol to stick around.
Other factors, of course, can increase homocysteine in your blood, including your genetic background, certain drugs, aging, hormonal changes such as menopause, smoking, how little you exercise, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
You can’t control all these things, but you can do something about your diet. The American Heart Association strongly advises patients at high risk for heart disease “to be sure to get enough folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 in their diet. They should eat at least five servings of fruits and green, leafy vegetables daily."
