High Homocysteine – A New Risk Factor for Bone Loss

Homocysteine is naturally produced by the liver during protein metabolism and then cleared with the help of the B vitamins like folic acid, B12, and B6. It is well known that if homocysteine levels build up due to B vitamin deficiency (which is common) then a toxic level of homocysteine is reached that causes cholesterol to form plaque and interferes with neurotransmitter function making depression more likely.

A new study¹ is showing that high levels of homocysteine can accumulate in bone by binding to collagen. This in turn causes abnormal collagen linking, resulting in poor bone formation. On top of that, the homocysteine also acts to stimulate osteoclasts – the type of bone cell involved in bone loss.

This means that it is very important to take high quality co-enzyme B vitamins to promote optimal homocysteine metabolism, not only for cardiovascular and mental health but also for bone health. These are needed in addition to adequate calcium, other bone cofactors like vitamin D, and bone anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Individuals have many options to build healthy bones. There is no need to use toxic bone drugs that do not produce healthy bone.