News
Quatrefolic® and homocysteine in human health
16 January 2023
High homocysteine levels are a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Quatrefolic®, as a source of active folate, contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
What does homocysteine have to do with folate?
Homocysteine (Hcy) is a common amino acid found in the bloodstream that serves as a critical intermediate in methylation cycle reactions.
Although plasma Hcy levels can significantly vary among the different populations according to their dietary habits, high plasma levels (HHcy) is considered a biomarker for several pathologies. Physiological plasma levels of Hcy in humans are commonly considered normal between 5 and 15 μmol/L.
Increase Hcy plasma levels have been correlated with an increased risk of arterial inflammation and damage and of an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. At the end of 2020, a search of the PubMed database yielded more than 26 000 hits for ‘homocysteine’.
Two meta-analyses concluded that ischemic heart disease risk could be reduced by 16% with a 3 μmol/L decrease in homocysteine levels and by 11% with a 25% decrease in homocysteine levels. Recent studies showed that risk of cardiovascular diseases have been increased with increase in plasma concentration of homocysteine.
Active folate Quatrefolic® in Hcy
An increase of homocysteine is associated with low levels of vitamin B6, B12, and folate. In recent years, research has uncovered the role of B vitamins supplementation, particularly folate, in reducing and normalizing homocysteine levels effectively, widely suggesting this practice as a safe and inexpensive way to reduce the risk of its increased plasma levels HHcy.
Here at Gnosis, we maintain wide attention on what science supports on Hcy and folate, aware that perturbations of one-carbon metabolism, owing to low levels of 5-MTHF, critically contribute to increasing circulating Hcy levels and a toxic accumulation in the bloodstream. At Gnosis, we work to raise knowledge and awareness of the different forms of folate and metabolism, and of the active 5-MTHF form, which we offer at Gnosis as Quatrefolic® (the glucosamine salt of 5-MTHF).
Quatrefolic® offers tangible advantages versus folic acid and can promote healthier heart life – better folate blood levels directly translate to lower Hcy levels, especially for people with MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) polymorphism, which is approximately 40% of the global population. These genetic alterations can lead to an increase in homocysteine blood levels. While folic acid must be first converted into 5-MTHF by a multi-enzymatic steps process, Quatrefolic® is the biologically active form of folate that completely bypasses this metabolic route and is immediately available to the body.
Quatrefolic® in clinical practice
One trial demonstrated that 400 mcg of Quatrefolic® (plus B6 and B12) lowered Hcy serum levels better than conventional high-dose folic acid supplementation (5 mg/day). Tested on hypertensive subjects at low cardiovascular risk (104 patients with HCys ≥15 µmol/L), the result shows significant HCys reduction compared to baseline from 21.5 µmol/L to 10.0 µmol/L. Moreover, the ideal HCys level was reached in 55.8% of cases in the Quatrefolic® group, and it was substantially higher than in the control.
Click the button below and downlaod Quatrefolic® brochure “Folate and Cardiovascular health”.
