A heart risk factor we don t hear much is initiated by the amino acid homocysteine. Elevated blood homocysteine levels have been shown to increase the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and blood clots. When you have your next physical be sure and ask your physician to include the C-reactive protein, or CRP test when your blood work is done. Your CRP results will show the amount of the amino acid in your blood and is also a marker for inflammation. Your C-reactive protein, or CRP homocysteine blood test results: Healthy levels, less than 10 mol/l is a good target Levels above 12 micromoles per deciliter of blood dramatically increases the risks of heart attacks Here s the bad news… Elevated levels are dangerous EVEN with people having normal cholesterol levels. It s estimated that elevated levels account for 10 to 20 percent of cases of coronary artery disease and pose just as high a threat as high blood pressure and hypertension. If you would like to raise your homocysteine levels please feel free to: Smoke - Smoking dramatically raises levels. Be Overweight - Obesity also dramatically raises levels. And here s the good news… Even if you don t smoke or you re obese your homocysteine levels can be elevated. There s a simple dietary fix to lower your levels naturally. Adding folic acid, or folate to your diet decreases these evels which in turn lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. The easiest way to add folate to your diet if you don t feel like eating more green, leafy vegetables, like spinach or if you re not interested in drinking more citrus juices you can take a simple folic acid supplement. There is such an overwhelming body of evidence that points to it as a causative factor in heart disease that it is recommended that you start TODAY with a folic acid supplement. Note: You probably haven t heard much about homocysteine in the news and there s a good reason - it s too easy and cheap to fix! Food or pharmaceutical industries have nothing to sell you for homocysteine reduction! This is perhaps the number one reason why the discussion is mysteriously silent in mainstream media. Recommendations Eat foods like spinach, asparagus and broccoli 800 - 1000 mcg of folic acid each day 10 mg of vitamin B6 and 400 mcg of vitamin B12 http://www.age-extension.com/lower-homocysteine-levels-naturally/