Homocysteine Balance for Brain Health

​In this lecture, Functional & Metabolic Psychiatry expert Dr. James Greenblatt explores the contributions of high HCy to various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, and how repletion of Vitamin B12 and/or Folate – informed by objective lab testing – offers both long-term neuroprotection and powerful therapeutic benefits to combat depression, anxiety, and more. The talk will begin with an in-depth look at HCy’s roles in the body and how imbalances or depletions in B Vitamins can contribute to toxic HCy accumulations. Next, the research: a look at recent studies conclusively implicating hyperhomocysteinemia as a risk factor for neurodegenerative illness.

Dr. Greenblatt will then discuss Vitamin B12 and folate – their roles in supporting metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and brain health; their associations with depression and other psychiatric illnesses; and common factors contributing to their depletion. Recommendations for objective assessment – simple and widely-accessible blood tests – will be detailed, along with evidence-based strategies for B Vitamin supplementation to lower HCy and optimize brain health.

By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

• ​List two or more common contributors to hyperhomocysteinemia (high HCy)
• ​Discuss research establishing hyperhomocysteinemia as a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s/dementia
• ​Identify two or more functions of Vitamin B12 as pertain to brain function / neurologic health
• ​Explain why “normal” Vitamin B12 levels may or may not be “optimal”
• ​Understand what blood tests may be utilized to accurately assess Vitamin B12 status
• ​Explain the distinctions between folic acid, folate, and L-methylfolate
• ​Understand the mechanisms through which folate supports brain function
• ​Identify two or more common risk factors for folate deficiency
• ​Understand how to assess folate levels via testing and initiate folate supplementation to support mental health

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