And homocysteine is a promising one. Vitamins Say the word homocysteine to anyone on the street and undoubtedly the result will be a blank look. And, as Hodis notes, physicians looking at an atherosclerotic lesion will find cholesterol and triglycerides there, but they won't find homocysteine. Certain chemical reactions in the body help get rid of homocysteine through urine or recycle it back into methionine through the liver. But if homocysteine accumulates in the body, it is thought to become toxic to arteries and contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.
Nutrition also plays a key role.
Vitamins are critical to the body in getting rid of homocysteine, Hodis says. On one hand, vitamin B12 and folate drive the chemical reaction to recycle homocysteine into the methionine that the body needs. On the other hand, vitamin B6 helps push another chemical reaction that breaks down homocysteine and flushes it out of the body through urine. Researchers hypothesize that consuming certain amounts of these vitamins in specific mixtures may provide the key ingredients the body needs for its recipe to reduce homocysteine, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. More Studies Needed Over the past decade, epidemiological studies have suggested high homocysteine levels go hand in hand with cardiovascular diseases.