Homocysteine is your most vital health statistic – it literally tells you where you are on the scale of health.   Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid by-product of normal metabolic processes. Ideally our body is well able to re-cycle it to a harmless form, but as a result of poor diet and stressful life-style it can build up in the system and can cause major health problems.   High homocysteine levels cause inflammation, damage and thicken the wall of the arteries, leading to poor circulation, cardiovascular diseases, dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. It is a better predictor of potential health problems than cholesterol, and a major indicator for heart attacks.   Homocysteine accumulation also reduces the body’s effectiveness in producing vital bio-chemicals that would reduce your risk of developing a variety of conditions and diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease, depression, recurring miscarriages, birth defects, and some cancers. High risk groups include people with unhealthy diet and lifestyle or people with a family history of the above mentioned diseases. Levels also increase with age and as a side effect of certain medications.