HOMOCYSTEINE: THE LINK TO UNDERSTANDING HEART DISEASE by Clarissa A. Vallerie

A discovery made over thirty years ago will radically change the way we treat and protect ourselves against heart disease. It is known as the homocysteine theory and is rapidly proving to be one of the most important medical discoveries of this century. The Homocysteine Revolution ($14.95) by Kilmer S. McCully, the father of the homocysteine theory, reveals a disturbing aspect of the politics surrounding medical research, explains a theory that will cause us to challenge existing beliefs about heart disease and marks the beginning of long over due discussions on homocysteine . According to Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D. "Dr. Kilmer McCully deserves to be nominated for a Nobel Prize!"

Homocysteine, an amino acid, is the result of our bodies metabolizing a protein called methionine. With the help of certain vitamins, homocysteine is converted into methionine. This conversion allows us to escape the damaging effects of homocysteine. If methionine is converted back to homocysteine it causes damage and hardening of the arteries by a direct effect on the cells and tissues lining the arteries. The homocysteine theory predicts that populations are at risk for heart disease because the methionine of dietary protein is not prevented from forming excess homocysteine. An excess of methionine from protein and a deficiency of certain vitamins are among the factors that cause vascular disease.

The positive news is that an inexpensive B vitamin supplement containing adequate amounts of B6, B12 and folic acid is more effective in reducing elevated serum homocysteine than expensive, hazardous, cholesterol-lowering drugs. Assuring your diet contains adequate amounts of these vitamins is understood as a promising strategy for prevention. Highly processed foods are a rich source of calories, sugar and fat and a poor source of the vitamins and nutrients needed to help prevent the onset of arteriosclerosis by homocysteine. Thus, Dr. McCully's view of arteriosclerosis is significantly different than the widely accepted opinion--arteriosclerosis is a deficiency disease not a disease of excess.

The fundamentally different basis for Dr. McCully's theory caused some medical establishments to privately denounce it because it undermined conventional beliefs on arteriosclerosis. The majority of the medical community ignored the theory most probably because they had a limited knowledge of biochemistry and metabolism or because a small amount of evidence existed in the form of published research. In the past few years the medical community has deemed the homocysteine theory worth consideration in relation to arteriosclerosis. Today, Dr. Andrew Weil refers to Dr. McCully as "a visionary pioneer well ahead of his time."

Dr. McCully writes, "This development will call for major accommodation and changes in the attitudes, actions and philosophy of the medical, pharmaceutical, nutritional and governmental sectors of society." The homocysteine theory offers a unique, health-saving alternative to the conventional medical treatment commonly used to treat heart disease. The prevention and treatment of one of today's biggest killer rests in the hands of the individual.

Information taken from The Homocysteine Revolution published by Keats Publishing, Inc. of New Canaan, Connecticut

Home  Other Articles  Go Shopping  Ask Cheryl (Q & A)