High homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease and stroke, but you can easily prevent that.

Homocysteine is an amino acid, which can build up in your body and cause problems if you are deficient in folic acid, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B6.

The study reviewed here followed 2009 participants for an average of 11.95 years documenting homocysteine levels and how it affected the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke (Sun Y., et al, 2009).

The results showed that participants with blood levels of homocysteine above 9.47 micromole/L had a 2.3-fold risk for cardiovascular events and participants with homocysteine levels above 11.84 micromole/L had a 2.4-fold risk for death.

Taking a good vitamin B-Complex regularly will in most people reduce homocysteine levels.

There are some people who do not metabolize folic acid properly and would not get the same benefits from regular folic acid. They could however take a vitamin B-Complex, which also contains the metabolism of folic acid and get the benefits.

To read more about the benefits of B-vitamins, click here.



Reference:

Use of serum homocysteine to predict stroke, coronary heart disease and death in ethnic Chinese. 12-year prospective cohort study. Sun Y., Chien KL, Hsu HC, Su TC, Chen MF, Lee YT. Circ J. 2009 Aug;73(8):1423-30. Epub 2009 Jun 11.

How does body composition affect bone mass.

The belief has been that increased fat mass was a protective factor for osteoporosis. This has now been challenged by two studies. One was done in 2007, which included 150 females and 150 males between the ages of 13 and 21 years (Janicka A., et al, 2007).

The conclusion of this study was that the findings provided compelling evidence that despite increased mechanical loading from higher fat mass, adipose (fat) tissue is not beneficial to bone structure.

The other study was just published in July 2009 and included 677 men between the ages of 25 and 45 years (Taes YE., et al, 2009). The results documented that both total and regional fat mass were found to be inversely associated with areal bone mass and size.

The researcher concluded that increased fat mass is associated with smaller bone size, and lean mass was a consistent positive determinant of bone size.

If you follow a low glycemic index diet high in nutrients and exercise regularly, your body fat percentage will adjust to what us normal for you without you having to count calories.

You will learn how to eat that way by reading the book “Effective Nutrition for Effective Healing”, click here for more information.




References:

Fat mass is not beneficial to bone in adolescents and young adults. Janicka A, Wren TA, Sanchez MM, Dorey F, Kim PS, Mittelman SD, Gilsanz V., J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan;92(1):143-7. Epub 2006 Oct 17.


Fat mass is negatively associated with cortical bone size in young healthy
male siblings. Taes YE, Lapauw B, Vanbillemont G, Bogaert V, De Bacquer D, Zmierczak H, Goemaere S, Kaufman JM., J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Jul;94(7):2325-31. Epub 2009 Apr 28.

The way you eat can help prevent eye disease.

Even your eyes can get protection from the food you eat.

An interesting study done over eight years and including 2924 participants documented the benefits from eating a low glycemic index diet and the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA (Chiu CJ, et al. 2009). EPA and DHA is the type of fat you find in fish and fish oil supplements. The participants in this study took supplements.

The conclusion of this study was that a lower glycemic index diet with higher intakes of EPA and DHA was associated with reduced progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration.

A low glycemic index diet is a diet that will stabilize the blood sugar at a low level instead of causing high spikes.

Excellent forms of very low glycemic carbohydrates that will stabilize the blood sugar at a good level are beans and lentils. If you want to you know more about the benefits of low glycemic meals read the book “The Food Connection’, click here.

To read more about the benefits of the omega 3 essential fatty acids EFA, DHA, click here.




Reference:

Does eating particular diets alter risk of age-related macular degeneration in users of the age-related eye disease study supplements? Chiu CJ, Milton RC, Gensler G, Taylor A,. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009 Jun 12.