Homocysteine: 10 µmol/L

Elle Penner, MPH, RD

2 mins

Contents

What does a homocysteine level of 10 mean? Are there any symptoms associated with this level? Factors that could contribute to a homocysteine level of 10 What to do if your homocysteine level is 10? Medications and supplements used to improve homocysteine levels How Elo can help

What does a homocysteine level of 10 mean? Are there any symptoms associated with this level?

A homocysteine level of 10 is considered elevated. Elevated levels of homocysteine (an amino acid in your blood) are often related to a B vitamin deficiency. High homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and osteoporosis [1].

Elevated homocysteine typically does not cause any symptoms in adults; however, if it’s related to a vitamin B deficiency, you may experience the following symptoms:

Pale skin
Fatigue
Weakness
Tingling hands, arms, legs, or feet
Mouth sores
Dizziness
Weakness
Changes in mood
Swelling of the tongue (folate deficiency)
Anemia

Learn more about homocysteine and the recommended range for homocysteine levels.

Factors that could contribute to a homocysteine level of 10

Certain factors and health conditions can increase your risk for elevated homocysteine levels, including [1, 2]:

Older age (homocysteine levels can increase as you get older)
Menopause
Being male (men usually have higher homocysteine levels than women)
Drug and tobacco use
Drinking 4 or more cups of coffee a day
Excessive alcohol consumption
Deficiencies in vitamins B12, B6, or folate
Kidney or thyroid problems
Cancer
Psoriasis
Diabetes
Heart disease
Certain variations of the MTHFR gene
Rare inherited diseases, including homocystinuria

What to do if your homocysteine level is 10?

Increasing your intake of folic acid (folate), B6, and B12 from foods may help lower your homocysteine level naturally. Some good dietary sources include:

Folate: Fruits, green leafy vegetables, fortified bread and breakfast cereals, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and asparagus
Vitamin B12: Sardines, clams (including the broth of boiled clams), tuna, trout, beef, milk, and fortified foods like breakfast cereal and nutritional yeast
Vitamin B6: Tuna, beef, fortified cereals, milk, chickpeas, chicken, and eggs

Quitting smoking, limiting your alcohol intake to <1-2 drinks/day, and moderating your coffee intake (3 cups or less/day) may also help lower homocysteine levels.

Medications and supplements used to improve homocysteine levels

In addition to making these diet and lifestyle changes, your healthcare provider may recommend certain medications or supplements to help lower your homocysteine level.

Medications

Levothyroxine: For high homocysteine levels caused by hypothyroidism, levothyroxine may be prescribed alongside a folic acid supplement to improve thyroid function and lower homocysteine levels [3].
Betaine: Also known as betaine anhydrous, or trimethylglycine (TMG), betaine is often prescribed to individuals with homocystinuria along with B vitamin supplements to help control homocysteine levels [4].

Supplements

Vitamin B supplements are used to treat high homocysteine caused by a B vitamin deficiency. The common dosage to treat low vitamin B is [2]:

50 mg/day of vitamin B6
1,000 µg (1 mg)/day of vitamin B12
2,400 µg (2.4 mg)/day of folic acid, split into three doses

How Elo can help

If you have elevated homocysteine or suspect you may have a B vitamin deficiency, you may want to give Elo Health a try. Elo provides curated nutrition recommendations based on your biomarker scores (which include homocysteine and B12) to create personalized supplements that fit your needs. You also get 1:1 dietitian coaching to further help you reach your health goals. Learn more about how we can help you reduce your homocysteine level and optimize your nutrition here.

References

Homocysteine: Levels, Tests, High Homocysteine Levels. (2018, December 2). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21527-homocysteine
Varga, E. A., Sturm, A. C., Misita, C. P., & Moll, S. (2005). Homocysteine and MTHFR Mutations. Circulation, 111(19). https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.0000165142.37711.e7
Ziaee, A., Hajibagher Tehrani, N., Hosseinkhani, Z., Kazemifar, A., Javadi, A., & Karimzadeh, T. (2012). Effects of folic acid plus levothyroxine on serum homocysteine level in hypothyroidism. Caspian journal of internal medicine, 3(2), 417–420. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3861905/
Betaine: MedlinePlus Drug Information. (2016, September 15). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a608012.html