“Elevated plasma levels of the sulfur-containing amino acid homocysteine increase the risk for atherosclerosis, stroke, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We now report that homocysteine induces apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons.”

The paragraph above is the opening refrain of a wonderfully insightful paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience during 2000 titled “Homocysteine Elicits a DNA Damage Response in Neurons That Promotes Apoptosis and Hypersensitivity to Excitotoxicity”. What does all this high tech jargon mean? In-a-word, that an amino acid generated in all of us as a byproduct of methionine processing can, when elevated, can kill off neurons in the brain. In the study just cited, researchers found that elevated homocysteine induced die-off in neurons in rats that are integral to memory (Hippocampal neurons).  

But there is more! Along comes a study published during January 2008 in Neurology in which researchers disclose that they have found evidence that elevated homocysteine may be linked to faster disease progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or “Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In the scientists own words, “Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels were significantly increased in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared with healthy controls. ALS cases with shorter time to diagnosis presented higher Hcy levels, suggesting that higher Hcy may be linked to faster progression of the disease.” "Elevated plasma homocysteine levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis"

For persons with ALS who do have an elevated homocysteine level, lowering this is as close as the Internet or a local pharmacy or health food store: A combination of various B-vitamins will do typically bring this about. However, this said, most homocysteine formulas provide their water soluble vitamins in straight dose form, meaning, for example, that the folate ingested gets into the body’s circulation all at one time. The problem with this is that excess folate will wind up being excreted in urine and thus wind up in the toilet. This is not cost or health effective, of course.

There is a way to get around this: Take a homocysteine-lowering formula that releases its ingredients slowly or gradually (Slow or time-release fashion). One of the very finest 12 hour time-release homocysteine-lowering products on the market is NUTRACENE.

Recommended additional reading:   

Is Use of (water soluble) supplement Vitamins a waste of money?

Guide to Living Longer and Healthier