Men's Health Forum: This is a discussion on Homocysteine lowering--controversial ? within the Anabolic Steroids forums, part of the extensive steroid information at MESO-Rx; here are the references:
1. Boers GHJ, Smals AGH, Trijbels FJM, et al. Heterozygosity for homocystinuria in premature peripheral and ...
1. Boers GHJ, Smals AGH, Trijbels FJM, et al. Heterozygosity for homocystinuria in premature peripheral and cerebral occlusive arterial disease. N Engl J Med 1985;313:709–15.
2. Broekmans WM, Klopping-Ketelaars IA, Schuurman CR, et al. Fruits and vegetables increase plasma carotenoids and vitamins and decrease homocysteine in humans. J Nutr 2000;130:1578–83.
3. Jang Y, Lee JH, Kim OY, et al. Consumption of whole grain and legume powder reduces insulin demand, lipid peroxidation, and plasma homocysteine concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease: randomized controlled clinical trial. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001;21:2065–71.
4. Nygård O, Refsum H, Ueland PM, Vollset SE. Major lifestyle determinants of plasma total homocysteine distribution: the Hordaland Homocysteine Study. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:263–70.
5. Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Miller ER 3rd, Maguire MG, et al. Association of dietary protein intake and coffee consumption with serum homocysteine concentrations in an older population. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:467–75.
6. Nieto FJ, Comstock GW, Chambless LE, Malinow RM. Coffee consumption and plasma homocyst(e)ine: results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;66:1475–85 [letter].
7. DeRose DJ, Charles-Marcel ZL, Jamison JM, et al. Vegan diet-based lifestyle program rapidly lowers homocysteine levels. Prev Med 2000;30:225–33.
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16. Malinow MR, Duell PB, Hess DL, et al. Reduction of plasma homocyst(e)ine levels by breakfast cereal fortified with folic acid in patients with coronary heart disease. N Engl J Med 1998;338:1009–15.
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Here's another option from Life Extension Foundation:
N-Acetyl Cysteine
600 mg, 60 capsules
Item Catalog Number: 215
L-cysteine is a conditionally essential amino acid, one of only three sulfur-containing amino acids, the others being taurine (which can be produced from L-cysteine) and L-methionine from which L-cysteine can be produced in the body by a multi-step process. Cysteine plays a role in the sulfation cycle, acting as a sulfur donor in phase II detoxification and as a methyl donor in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Cysteine also helps synthesize glutathione, one of the body’s most important natural detoxifiers. N-acetyl-cysteine is the acetylated form of L-cysteine, which is more efficiently absorbed and used.54-64
Glutathione (gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) is a peptide (short protein)-like molecule synthesized in the body from the three amino acids L-glutamic acid, L-cysteine, and glycine. Glutathione is one of the body’s most important and powerful antioxidants, helping to detoxify xenobiotics. A major function of vitamin C is to keep glutathione in its reduced form so that they can continue to provide free radical quenching effects.65-68
Even though many published studies show that garlic, selenium, alpha-lipoic acid, L-cysteine, and N-acetyl-cysteine can boost cellular glutathione levels, people with health problems may benefit from taking high doses of glutathione.65,69-71*
References
The liver is a large glandular organ, whose functions include storage and filtration of blood, secretion of bile, detoxification of various substances, and conversion of sugars into glycogen, which it stores. The liver is also responsible for processing many vitamins and nutrients into a form that can be utilized by the body, and processing many toxic chemicals for elimination.
Modern living involves daily exposure to substances that are toxic to our bodies, which imposes a heavy load on the liver. Therefore, a healthy liver is critical to well-being. Certain lifestyle risks and medical conditions make it all the more important to ensure that the liver is being maintained at its functional best.
In Europe and Asia, herbal liver tonics have been in common use for centuries. The effectiveness of the herbs used has been validated during the past decades through modern research and clinical studies. These herbs generally contain antioxidants, cell membrane stabilizing agents, bile secretion enhancing compounds, or nutrients that prevent depletion of endogenous antioxidants such as glutathione. Hepato-protection is beneficial not only for the liver, but for the overall health and vitality of our body.
N-acetyl cysteine is the more efficiently absorbed and used form of the amino acid, L-cysteine. L-cysteine plays a role in the sulfation cycle, acting as a sulfur donor in phase II detoxification and as a methyl donor in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. N-acetyl cysteine has antioxidant properties, and helps to maintain healthy levels of the liver’s natural detoxifier, glutathione. In addition, N-acetyl cysteine has been used to break up pulmonary and bronchial mucus.53-63*
Other ingredients: magnesium stearate, gelatin, water.
This product contains NO milk, egg, fish, peanuts, crustacean shellfish, soybeans, tree nuts, wheat, yeast, gluten, corn, or rice. Contains NO sugar, and no artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Dosage and Use
Take one capsule one to three times daily with or without food, or as recommended by a healthcare practitioner.
When taking N-acetyl cysteine it is recommended that two to three times as much vitamin C be taken at the same time.
Caution
Those who supplement with NAC should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily in order to prevent cysteine renal stones. Cysteine renal stones are rare but do occur.
Warnings
__________________
And we'll collect the moments one by one.
I guess that's how the future's done.
Feist, "Mushaboom", 2005.
I think what she was referring to was a recent study that showed lowering homocysteine with supplements had no effect on mortality. Despite numerous previous studies that show a direct relationship between between high homocysteine and mortality. Another marketing spin by Big Pharma??
I think what she was referring to was a recent study that showed lowering homocysteine with supplements had no effect on mortality. Despite numerous previous studies that show a direct relationship between between high homocysteine and mortality. Another marketing spin by Big Pharma??
Big Pharma strikes again, or so it seems. That doesn't bode well for vitamins in the not so distant future. Of course, I don't think vitamin manufacturers would give up that easy, as their sales represent a LOT of money that would go down the drain, and cause those companies to probably go bankrupt.
Still it's a disgrace to see such unsound meta-analysis make it to the media, and be taken at face value. No one ever mentions the many thousands of people dying each year from drug side-effects or interractions......makes me mad !
Big Pharma strikes again, or so it seems. That doesn't bode well for vitamins in the not so distant future. Of course, I don't think vitamin manufacturers would give up that easy, as their sales represent a LOT of money that would go down the drain, and cause those companies to probably go bankrupt.
Still it's a disgrace to see such unsound meta-analysis make it to the media, and be taken at face value. No one ever mentions the many thousands of people dying each year from drug side-effects or interractions......makes me mad !
This is all about money we do vit's and supplements and are healther so they don't make any money. Also they don't want to cure a health problem but there is much more money in just treating it and at that they don't do a very good job of it.
Like we hear about Maca that it dose nothing yet I have taked to people on Armour for there thyroid that tried Maca and had to lower there dose of armour because they went hyper.
__________________
Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.
Phil
I think what she was referring to was a recent study that showed lowering homocysteine with supplements had no effect on mortality. Despite numerous previous studies that show a direct relationship between between high homocysteine and mortality. Another marketing spin by Big Pharma??
The study in question posited that elevated homocysteine was a marker for other inflammatory processes, and was not, itself, the inflammatory agent. It was discovered that elevated homocysteine was associated with elevated levels of factor VIII and fibrinogen, and that they were the culprits, rather than homocysteine.
Thus, lowering homocysteine was found to do nothing for the underlying inflammatory process. However, elevated fibrinogen and Factor VIII are also ammenable to complementary treatment approaches - fish oil, niacin, etc.
The study in question posited that elevated homocysteine was a marker for other inflammatory processes, and was not, itself, the inflammatory agent. It was discovered that elevated homocysteine was associated with elevated levels of factor VIII and fibrinogen, and that they were the culprits, rather than homocysteine.
Thus, lowering homocysteine was found to do nothing for the underlying inflammatory process. However, elevated fibrinogen and Factor VIII are also ammenable to complementary treatment approaches - fish oil, niacin, etc.
No doubt, there is a strong association between elevated levels of homocysteine and inflammatory processes. But even a strong statistical association does not show causation.
Are the researchers right that homocysteine is a marker for an underlying inflammatory process, rather than an inflammatory agent itself? I don't know.
But there is a well-known association between Factor VIII/Fibrinogen elevations and systemic inflammation. These researchers have also identified a strong association between Fibrinogen/Factor VIII and homocysteine.
What can be said is that the picture is probably more complicated than originally thought.
Re: Homocysteine lowering--controversial ? 
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