Excessive vegetarianism can lead to deadly diseases

A watch only over your cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes is not sufficient to escape from a heart attack or brain stroke, rather extreme vegetarian practices among Indians can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia and high homocysteine levels resulting in diseases including strokes, heart attack, diabetes and other fatal diseases, experts have expressed their opinion.

Indian medical experts now have another matter of concern, which is related to an increase in homocysteine (an amino acid present in the blood) that is slowly emerging as the single largest risk factor for heart diseases and strokes.

At the concluding day of Indian study group conference on Homocysteine at Varca in Goa, medical practitioners said homocysteine levels amongst the inhabitants of India was alarming and it is more amongst the "extreme vegetarians".

Many medical professionals including Dr Rusom Wadia, Pune-based consulting physician and neurologist, Dr G S Sainani, cardiodiabetologist, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, Dr Pradip Talwalkar, consulting diabetologist, S L Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, Dr Y P Munjal, director, centre for diabetes and lifestyle diseases took part in the first ever such conference aimed to work out guidelines on awareness amongst general practitioners and common people about homocysteine level, which is a major risk factor.

Telling about the probable reasons behind the raising level of Homocysteine, JJ Hospital's emeritus professor of medicine G S Sainani said, “Elevated levels of homocysteine are posing a problem in India, partly due to our genetic make-up and partly due to nutritional deficiencies.”

Adding to this, Dr. Sainani said that a deficiency of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 contributes to hyperhomocysteinemia or increase in homocysteine levels, which in turn increases the risk of heart attacks.

"We are not advocating that everyone should eat meat but milk, eggs or green salad can be consumed to make up for deficiency of B12, folic acid and pyridoxine," stated Dr Wadia.

One among the guidelines drawn up, in the meeting, was the need for a long-term study on Indians to study the effects of vitamin supplementation in reducing cardio-vascular diseases.

The doctors' concerns are multiplied by the findings of a recently concluded study in Jaslok Hospital at Peddar Road, which documented the correlation between the rising homocysteine graph and heart diseases.

The two-year period study found that 65 patients suffering from heart diseases had higher levels of homocysteine as compared to another batch of 65 patients. Considerably, the former group also indicated low levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 in their diets.

"Nearly 50% of our population is fighting hyperhomocysteinemia. The independent risk when coupled with other risk factors such as obesity, smoking or diabetes, could spell trouble for many," says Dr. Talwalkar.

Though, homocysteine was recognized as a risk factor for Indians as far back as 1998, but experts say testing facilities are underdeveloped. "Blood tests for homocysteine cost around Rs 500, making it unaffordable for many," said Dr Wadia.

However, doctors have a simple solution to the problem: vitamin supplementation. "It is a simple and economical way to control homocysteine levels. There can't be much harm as these are water soluble vitamins and their intake doesn't cause side-effects," said Dr. Wadia.