The Homocysteine Test is a powerful at-home blood test designed to assess one of the most important — yet often overlooked — markers of long-term health: homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine levels have been scientifically linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, fertility issues, and impaired detoxification, making it a vital biomarker for anyone interested in preventive health, longevity, and optimal function.

Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid produced during the metabolism of methionine. Under normal conditions, your body converts homocysteine into other beneficial compounds using B vitamins such as B6, B12, and folate (B9). But when this process is disrupted—due to genetic mutations (like MTHFR), nutrient deficiencies, or lifestyle factors—homocysteine can build up in the blood, contributing to inflammation, oxidative stress, and damage to blood vessels and brain cells.

This easy-to-use dried blood spot (DBS) test allows you to collect a few drops of blood at home and send it to our certified laboratory for precise, clinically validated analysis. Whether you're tracking cardiovascular risk, supporting cognitive function, evaluating your methylation pathways, or checking your response to B vitamin supplementation, this test gives you actionable insights you can use to make meaningful changes.

The Homocysteine Test is especially relevant for those with a family history of heart disease, brain fog or memory issues, fatigue, vegan or vegetarian diets, fertility concerns, or anyone working with a functional medicine practitioner to optimise detox, metabolism, and healthy aging.

Homocysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that’s formed when your body breaks down methionine — an essential amino acid from protein-rich foods. In healthy individuals, homocysteine is quickly recycled or converted with the help of B vitamins, particularly:

• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Folate (B9)

Elevated levels of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) have been linked to:

• Cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis
• Cognitive decline and neurodegeneration
• Poor detoxification and oxidative stress
• Infertility and pregnancy complications
• Methylation dysfunction

You can naturally reduce and maintain healthy homocysteine levels through targeted nutrition, lifestyle changes, and routine monitoring:

• Eat B-vitamin-rich foods: Prioritise foods high in folate (B9), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 such as leafy greens, legumes, eggs, meat, dairy, fish, and whole grains.
• Try intermittent fasting or reduce processed foods: Ultra-processed foods and refined sugars can increase inflammation and interfere with methylation. Balanced meal timing may support metabolic regulation.
• Include homocysteine-lowering nutrients: Nutrients like choline (found in eggs), betaine (beets), and magnesium can support healthy methylation and detoxification pathways.
• Limit alcohol and reduce chronic stress: Both can impair vitamin absorption and methylation function, leading to elevated homocysteine levels over time.
• Supplement wisely: Consider methylated forms of folate (5-MTHF), B12 (methylcobalamin), and B6 (P-5-P) if you have absorption issues, dietary gaps, or MTHFR gene variants.
• Sleep well and support detox pathways: Quality sleep and good hydration support liver function, which is critical for metabolising homocysteine.
• Monitor and retest: Re-checking your homocysteine levels every 2–3 months can help track progress and assess the impact of supplements or dietary changes.

An optimal homocysteine level is generally considered to be between 6 and 8 µmol/L. Most labs define the normal clinical reference range as 5 to 15 µmol/L. However, levels above 9 µmol/L may be considered suboptimal from a functional health perspective, and levels above 15 µmol/L are classified as elevated.

Low homocysteine typically indicates efficient methylation and adequate intake of key nutrients, while elevated levels may suggest:

• Deficiency in vitamin B6, vitamin B12, or folate (B9)
• Impaired methylation due to genetic variants such as MTHFR
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or cognitive decline
• Excessive oxidative stress or poor detoxification capacity

Your test report includes your exact homocysteine result, reference range, and a clear interpretation to help guide your next steps.

• Selhub et al. (1995): Identified homocysteine as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and vascular inflammation.
• Clarke et al. (1998): Linked high homocysteine to cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia.
• Smith et al. (2010): Found that B vitamin supplementation to lower homocysteine slows brain atrophy in older adults.
• Ostrakhovitch & Tabibzadeh (2019): Reviewed homocysteine’s role in fertility, detoxification, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial damage.

These findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring homocysteine not just for heart health, but also for brain aging, cellular detox, and metabolic resilience.

• Detect cardiovascular and cognitive risk early – Elevated homocysteine is linked to inflammation, vascular damage, and brain aging
• Assess your methylation and detox pathways – Homocysteine reflects the efficiency of methylation, B-vitamin status, and liver detox
• Optimise your supplement strategy – Know whether your B12, folate, or methylation support is working
• Track metabolic and neurological health – Functional medicine practitioners use homocysteine as a core biomarker
• Easy at-home collection – Convenient dried blood spot format with lab-validated results

Your test report includes the concentration of total homocysteine in your blood, measured in micromoles per litre (µmol/L).

Homocysteine is a key indicator of:

• Methylation activity – how well your body is converting homocysteine using B vitamins
• Detoxification capacity – elevated levels may signal reduced ability to clear toxins
• Cardiovascular risk – high homocysteine is linked to inflammation and vascular damage
• Neurological function – excess homocysteine is associated with cognitive decline and brain atrophy
• B vitamin status – especially vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate (B9)

The test provides a single, powerful biomarker that reflects several interconnected systems—making it ideal for anyone focused on metabolic health, longevity, or functional medicine.

• Individuals with a family history of heart disease, stroke, or high blood pressure
• People experiencing fatigue, poor memory, or mood issues
• Anyone following a vegan, vegetarian, or low-protein diet (at higher risk of B12 or folate deficiency)
• Adults concerned about methylation or detox capacity
• Those using B complex or methylation supplements who want to monitor effectiveness
• Women planning a pregnancy or undergoing fertility treatment
• Anyone interested in tracking longevity, brain health, or cardiovascular risk

• Dried blood spot (DBS) collection card
• Lancets, alcohol swab, gauze, bandage
• Prepaid return envelope and instructions
• Accredited lab analysis + secure online results