High levels of a chemical called homocysteine in your blood can cause plaque development in the arteries or blood-clot formation in veins, which might restrict blood flow to your heart and brain. Staving off this threat could be as simple as eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables or taking a daily supplement of folate, a B vitamin also known as folic acid. Some studies have indicated that men and postmenopausal women have higher plasma homocysteine levels although this has not been a universal finding.
Children tend to have lower plasma homocysteine levels, and levels tend to rise with age.
But don't call your physician about testing homocysteine levels just yet. Reliable ranges for normal plasma levels of homocysteine have not been established. The most important nongenetic factors that affect homocysteine levels are vitamin B12 deficiency, folate deficiency and vitamin B6 deficiency. But folate supplementation alone is as effective as combination vitamin therapy, Dr. Hobbs said. Folate is an essential B vitamin found in fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans, liver, and whole-grain products.