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Homocysteine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. When proteins break down, elevated levels of amino acids like homocysteine may be found in the bloodstream. Having elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia) is associated with atherosclerosis and blood clots. It is not possible to get homocysteine from the diet. It must be made from methionine, another amino acid that is found in meat, fish, and dairy products.
Vitamin K is one of the key factors that allow our blood to clot. It is commonly found in green leafy vegetables. Clotting is a lifesaving process that prevents us from bleeding to death if we are wounded or the skin is punctured. However, for those at risk of stroke, blood clots can ultimately be lethal. For this reason, physicians prescribe blood- thinning medications such as warfarin (CoumadinÂ®) to patients at high risk for developing a clot (thrombus) inside their blood vessels.