title: Vegan diet-based lifestyle program rapidly lowers homocysteine levels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasma homocysteine levels have been directly associated with cardiac disease risk. Current research raises concerns as to whether comprehensive lifestyle approaches including a plant-based diet may interact with other known modulators of homocysteine levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report our observations of homocysteine levels in 40 self-selected subjects who participated in a vegan diet-based lifestyle program. Each subject attended a residential lifestyle change program at the Lifestyle Center of America in Sulphur, Oklahoma and had fasting plasma total homocysteine measured on enrollment and then after 1 week of lifestyle intervention. The intervention included a vegan diet, moderate physical exercise, stress management and spirituality enhancement sessions, group support, and exclusion of tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. B vitamin supplements known to reduce blood homocysteine levels were not provided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects' mean homocysteine levels fell 13%: from 8.66 micromol/L (SD 2.7 micromol/L) to 7.53 micromol/L (SD 2.12 micromol/L; P < 0.0001). Subgroup analysis showed that homocysteine decreased across a range of demographic and diagnostic categories. Conclusions. Our results suggest that broad-based lifestyle interventions favorably impact homocysteine levels. Furthermore, analysis of Lifestyle Center of America program components suggests that other factors in addition to B vitamin intake may be involved in the observed homocysteine lowering.
authors.affiliation: Lifestyle Center of America in Sulphur, Oklahoma 73086, USA. drderose@brightok.net
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: DeRose
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Charles-Marcel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jamison
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Muscat
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Braman
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: McLane
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keith Mullen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine