Have you ever checked your homocysteine level? Do you even know what homocysteine is? Honestly, I didn’t, at least not until recently.
It all started when I read “The Optimum Nutrition Bible” by Patrick Holford. If you care about your health, I highly recommend this book.
That’s where I first learned about homocysteine. I was shocked that something so important had never been mentioned by any doctor that I’ve seen for routine check-ups. I had a range of blood tests done as recently as January and February this year, all came back normal. But not one of them included a homocysteine test.
WHAT IS HOMOCYSTEINE?
Did you know that one tiny molecule in your blood could hold the key to how long and how well you live? It’s called homocysteine and it’s one of the most powerful indicators of your overall health. Yet, most people have never even heard of it. Shocking, right? Doctors rarely test for it and it’s almost never part of a routine check-up, even though it can reveal so much about your future well-being.
Homocysteine is a natural by-product of methionine, an amino acid found in many of the foods we eat. Your body produces it every day and, in small amounts, it’s perfectly normal. The problem starts when levels get too high.
Elevated homocysteine has been linked to more than 50 serious health conditions including heart attacks, strokes, certain cancers, diabetes, depression and even Alzheimer’s disease. Keeping it in check could be one of the most important things you do for your long-term health.
MY HOMOCYSTEINE TEST
I visited Belgrade in April 2024 and took the opportunity to check my homocysteine levels. Getting this test done through a GP in England would likely be impossible, although I’ll ask at my next appointment. I went to the same laboratory in Belgrade where I had several coronavirus antibody tests back in 2020.
My results came back with a homocysteine level of 7.92. For someone my age, anything below 12 is generally considered good. However, the goal is to keep levels as low as possible, ideally under 6. This means that I still have some work to do, to bring mine closer to the optimal range around 4.
HOW DO YOU LOWER YOUR HOMOCYSTEINE?
Homocysteine itself isn’t entirely bad news. Your body naturally converts it into two beneficial substances – glutathione and SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine). However, this process depends on having enough B vitamins in your system. Without optimal levels, the enzymes responsible for converting homocysteine don’t function properly, causing its levels to rise to potentially dangerous levels.
The good news? With the right mix of nutrients, along with dietary and lifestyle adjustments, you can significantly lower your risk. Specific supplements known to help reduce homocysteine include vitamins B2, B6, B12, folic acid, trimethylglycine (TMG) and zinc.
It’s hard to believe that something that poses such a serious threat to your health can be managed with something as simple as B vitamins.
IS THIS WHY HOMOCYSTINE IS NOT TESTED?
Could it be that the medical industry overlooks homocysteine because there’s no expensive, patented pharmaceutical drug to prescribe? After all, cheap and naturally occurring B vitamins can’t be patented. Meanwhile, drugs like statins are aggressively promoted even when cholesterol levels are only slightly elevated. But, they’re a major revenue source for the pharma industry.
Now that I’m aware of how important homocysteine is, I plan to check my levels every year when I visit Belgrade. The test cost me 2100 Serbian dinars, about £15, while the same test in the UK would set me back at least £80. Paying that much in the UK just wouldn’t make sense.
The key is to stay proactive about your health. Since homocysteine is one of the most important health markers, it’s worth starting to monitor it regularly, if you haven’t already.
FIRST UPDATE
I visited Belgrade in May 2025 and took the opportunity to get a basic health check, which included a homocysteine test.
As you can see in the photo below, my latest homocysteine level is 6.61, lower than last year’s result and well within the healthy range. That’s good news although, ideally, I would still like to bring it closer to 4.
I’m not surprised by this improvement. It’s the result of paying close attention to my diet, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking supplements, including a high-quality multivitamin with B vitamins and zinc, which help keep homocysteine levels in check.
You’ll also notice some other test results in the same photo, but I’ll share more about those in an upcoming post.
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