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MTHFR and Homocysteine By The Numbers

These past few weeks we’ve gone over some general information about MTHFR and homocysteine, the link between methionine and homocysteine, and the new information about MTHFR, homocysteine, and Covid-19. What we haven’t talked about is Homocysteine testing and parameters – what is normal, what isn’t, and what is considered normal but maybe shouldn’t be.

Testing Homocysteine

Homocysteine tests are simple blood tests that can be ordered by your doctor. It must be performed fasting for accurate results. Any protein you eat before your test can skew the numbers because methionine in your food may cause a temporary rise in homocysteine. The best way to ensure a blood test is fasting is to schedule your blood test early in the day before you have eaten anything. 8 – 12 hours of fasting (like you would get overnight) is best for the most accurate results.

“Normal” Levels

The current medical standard in the U.S. is a normal range from 5 – 15 umol/L (that is micro mols/Litre). Anything above 15 micro mols/L is considered high, or hyperhomocysteinemia. There is a growing body of evidence that the normal level should be adjusted:

  • A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that carotid artery thickening and stenosis risk begins to increase for men by 9.2 umol/L (although the risk for women seems to remain stable until 11.4 umol/L). Both of these are significantly lower than the 15 umol/L that is considered normal.
    • Risk increases at 9.2 umol/L
  • A meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that a 3 umol/L decrease in homocysteine leads to an 11% lower risk of ischemic heart disease and a 19% lower risk of stroke.
  • A strong linear relationship exists between homocysteine levels and death in patients with coronary disease. The lowest risk group has homocysteine below 9 umol/L and the risk increases from there both within what is considered the normal level and outside of it.
    • Homocysteine <9 umol/L = 3.4% risk of death
    • Homocysteine 9 umol/L – 14.9 umol/L = 8.6% risk of death
    • Homocysteine >15 umol/L = 24.7% risk of death.
    • Risk increases at 9 umol/L
  • The study we discussed last week dealing with homocysteine levels as a predictive marker for worse outcomes with Covid-19 also showed an increased risk for pathological lung changes on CT at 8 umpl/L
    • Risk increases at 10.58 umol/L

If The “Normal” Levels aren’t Ideal, What Is?

All of the risks for negative health outcomes seems to be lowest around the 6 – 8 umol/L mark, so we’re going to call that “Optimal.” This is an estimation based on the research that we talked about above. Joe Pizzorno (a legend in the natural wellness community), estimates the ideal range to be 5.0 to 7.0. Ben Lynch, the epigenetic expert, estimates ideal to be between 6 to 9 umol/L.

If Homocysteine Is So Bad, Why Aren’t We Aiming for Zero?

Too much homocysteine is bad for sure, and with MTHFR and homocysteine that is the direction we usually trend, but remember that homocysteine is absolutely essential. If your homocysteine is too low (hypohomocysteinemia), then there are also health consequences. Without homocysteine you can’t make glutathione, which is one of your main defenses against oxidative stress. Without glutathione, things would go sideways pretty quickly.

MTHFR and homocysteine are linked through the methionine cycle

Homocysteine is also the precursor for something called alpha-ketobutyrate, which is a vital ingredient in the process that makes cellular energy. Very few studies are done about low homocysteine levels (I mean VERY few. I can count them on two hands). By far the most interesting one shows a link between low homocysteine and peripheral neuropathy. It states that fully 41% of people with low homocysteine have peripheral neuropathy, which is hugely significant.

In my opinion, this implies that the lack of glutathione and consequent difficulty with free radicals is leading to higher levels of inflammation and nerve damage. Ben Lynch put forward a similar theory on his website here, and Joe Pizzorno, here.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a link between low homocysteine and chronic fatigue, as well, although the research has never been done.

The bottom line is that we need homocysteine, but too much of it becomes a big problem. Aim for 6 – 8ish micro mols/L. Next week we’ll talk about ways to lower your homocysteine levels if they’re too high.

Has your homocysteine ever tested too low? I”d love to hear your comments here, or in Genetic Rockstars, our amazing MTHFR community.

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MTHFR is a common genetic mutation that can contribute to anxiety, depression, fatigue, chronic pain, infertility, and more serious conditions like breast implant illness, heart attack, stroke, chronic fatigue syndrome, and some types of cancer. If you know or suspect you have an MTHFR variant, schedule a free 15-minute meet-and-greet appointment with MTHFR expert Dr. Amy today.

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Amy Neuzil
Amy Neuzil

Dr. Amy Neuzil, N.D. is a leading expert in MTHFR and epigenetics, and she is passionate about helping people achieve optimal health and wellness for their genetic picture. She has helped thousands of people overcome health challenges using a simple, step-by-step approach that starts with where they are today. Dr. Neuzil's unique approach to wellness has helped countless people improve their energy levels, lose weight, and feel better mentally and emotionally. If you're looking for a way to feel your best, Dr. Amy Neuzil can help. Contact her today to learn more about how she can help you achieve optimal health and wellness.

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4 Comments

  1. I have a high homocysteine result of 23 but my b12 and folate levels are normal. Why would this be, and why haven’t l been treated for having a high reading if it’s so bad

    • Hi Cindy,
      Often if homocysteine is high but B12 and folate are normal, it’s because of a gene variance such as MTHFR, MTR, or MTRR, that causes you to use either folate or B12 inefficiently. Typically this is solved by taking the active forms of folate and B12 and avoiding forms that have to be converted using those genes (or the enzymes that the genes make). That would be methyl folate and methylcobalamin. As to why you haven’t been treated – I can’t say. It’s probably something you should ask your doctor about, because high homocysteine is a well documented risk for heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia, pregnancy complications, and many other serious conditions.

    • Hi Antony,
      So her homocysteine is actually low – you’ll have to work carefully with her to bring up the factors that help her to make more SAMe (like methylfolate or actual SAMe) while trying to protect the homocysteine she does have because we don’t want that to get lower. It’s interesting – do you know if she has an MTHFR polymorphism?

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