Diet Can Lower Homocysteine, Study Shows

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions have completed a study showing that a well-balanced diet low in fats and rich in fruits and vegetables can lower blood levels of homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. The study results were published in the August 22 issue of Circulation.

For the first three weeks, participants were fed a diet low in fruits, vegetables and dairy products and relatively high in fat. During the next eight weeks, they followed one of three randomly assigned food plans: a continuation of the first plan, called the typical American diet; a diet rich in fruits and vegetables but otherwise similar to the first; or the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and also includes whole grains, fish, and nuts but reduces fats, red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages.

Unlike the DASH diet, which lowered homocysteine by 0.34 micromoles per liter, the typical American diet raised homocysteine by 0.46 micromoles per liter. The fruits and vegetables diet had an intermediate effect. The researchers says the reduction caused by the DASH diet was predicted to reduce the risk of heart disease by 7-9 %. Decreases in blood pressure and cholesterol should cause a further reduction.

To get these benefits, people should eat a well-balanced diet, said Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and author of the study. It's not enough to eat just an occasional fruit or vegetable while consuming a high-fat diet.