Tracey Yeend - Hormonal, Nutritional & Environmental Health

10/12/2025

Homocysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is a byproduct of the metabolism of methionine. Methionine is used by cells to supply methyl groups, which are required in many different cellular reactions.

Homocysteine is maintained at a relatively constant level by several mechanisms in the methionine cycle.

Most homocysteine is remethylated to methionine using methyl groups from the folate cycle or donated from trimethylglycine (also called betaine). This process occurs primarily in the liver and requires methylfolate along with vitamin B12.

Why is high homocysteine a problem?
Recent research shows that homocysteine can bind to proteins after they are synthesized in post-translational protein modification. Proteins are made up of amino acids that are arranged in a specific way. The incorporation of homocysteine (an amino acid) ultimately changes the structure of the protein and can affect its function.

The problem arises when too much homocysteine is available, and it ends up being incorporated into too many proteins. For example, homocysteine may take the place of methionine in proteins. The addition of homocysteine causes some proteins to become pro-inflammatory or pro-thrombotic.

Homocysteine levels can be high for a number of reasons:
- Insufficient folate and B12 (exacerbated by variants in MTHFR, MTR – check your genotype report in my article below)
- Not enough B6 (CBS pathway)
- More methionine than the body can handle
- Renal insufficiency (kidney disease) or alcoholism

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This is just a short excerpt from my in-depth article on homocysteine. Here is a link to my full article: www.geneticlifehacks.com/understanding-homocysteine-levels/

With a Genetic Lifehacks membership, you can use your genetic raw data (from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, etc) to see your genotypes in over 400 articles, including my article on homocysteine. You will see research-backed solutions in the lifehacks section to help determine what pathway to target -- all based on your genetic variants. Personalize your health!

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

What are your thoughts?

Some odd choices about what’s being banned on social media don’t you think!

Why is the left wing Blue Sky social media app not banned?

Why isn’t Indoctrinating children with left wing ideology considered bullying?

09/12/2025

Interesting info for the silly season and alcohol.

Alcohol metabolism and why a few drinks linger longer than you think...

Your body processes >90% of ethanol in the liver, but the path creates toxic byproducts and drains key cofactors.

1️⃣ Step 1: Ethanol → Acetaldehyde
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) converts ethanol to acetaldehyde, a far more toxic molecule.
💡 Example: Acetaldehyde is 10–30x more toxic than ethanol and drives hangovers.

2️⃣ Step 2: Acetaldehyde → Acetate
Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) detoxifies acetaldehyde to acetate. Genetic variants slow this step, causing the flush response.
💡 Example: ~30–50% of East Asians have ALDH2 deficiency, leading to red flushing and higher cancer risk.

3️⃣ Step 3: Acetate → Acetyl-CoA
Acetate is converted into Acetyl-CoA for energy, but excess NADH shifts it into fat storage.
💡 Example: Chronic drinking promotes fatty liver because metabolism favors lipogenesis.

4️⃣ Cofactors Required
Both ADH and ALDH consume NAD⁺, creating a redox imbalance. Zinc is essential for ADH function, and glutathione helps mop up aldehyde damage.
💡 Example: Heavy drinking depletes NAD⁺ and glutathione, impairing energy metabolism and antioxidant defense.

5️⃣ Systemic Effects
Excess NADH raises lactic acid, blocks fat burning, and impairs gluconeogenesis. Acetaldehyde damages DNA and mitochondria.
💡 Example: This is why alcohol can cause both hypoglycemia and rapid fat gain.

6️⃣ What Can Help?
No hack accelerates clearance beyond ~1 drink/hour, but cofactors can reduce collateral damage:
Taurine supports acetaldehyde detox and membrane stability.
NAC restores glutathione.
B1, B3, B6 support alcohol dehydrogenase activity.
💡 Example: NAC + taurine supplementation has been shown to blunt acetaldehyde toxicity in experimental studies.

7️⃣ The Takeaway
Alcohol metabolism is an NAD⁺-draining, oxidative stress-driven process. You can’t outrun liver capacity, but you can support cofactors that protect cells.
💡 Example: Think of alcohol clearance like a one-lane road. You can’t make it faster, but you can repair the guardrails.
Your liver clears alcohol on its own schedule. Zinc, taurine, glutathione, and B-vitamins help reduce the metabolic fallout, but nothing cancels the 1-drink-per-hour rule.

09/12/2025

Many female patients seek help from natural therapists for hair loss precisely because conventional medicine has so little to offer beyond diagnosis and reassurance. Once serious pathology (like thyroid disease or marked iron deficiency) is ruled out, women are often told their hair loss is “normal” with age or hormonal change — and offered little more than topical minoxidil, oral contraceptives or anti-androgen medications. These treatments can help in some cases, but many women find them partially effective, poorly tolerated or unsatisfying. Also, many men suffer from poor hair health not necessarily related to male pattern baldness.

There are many retail supplement products aimed to help with hair health, but what is the evidence for their efficacy. And does diet play a role?

While a growing body of evidence highlights the roles of genetics and hormones in alopecia and general hair follicle health, emerging evidence suggests the profound influence of diet and nutrition in optimal hair outcomes.

In a recent study in the journal Nutrition and Health, researchers synthesised evidence from 17 peer-reviewed publications, collectively leveraging more than 61,332 participants, to unravel the science on dietary impacts on hair health.

Review findings highlight that vitamin D concentrations demonstrated a strong inverse correlation with alopecia (hair loss) severity, providing an example of the importance of specific micronutrients in optimal hair health (although one large cohort study found no association). Conversely, the high consumption of sugary drinks (>3500 mL/week) was positively correlated with hair loss, particularly in men.

The included studies comprised cross-sectional studies (n = 7), case-control studies (n = 4), three randomised clinical trials, two clinical trials, and one cohort study. The reviewed studies covered more than 61,332 participants, though this number was heavily and disproportionately populated by one extensive cohort study. Most of these participants were female (97%), with summary statistics revealing that vitamin D was the most frequent topic of investigation among included studies (n =5).

The outcomes of these investigations were generally consistent – lower serum vitamin D levels were associated with greater severity of both alopecia areata (an autoimmune form of hair loss) and androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness), though the null finding in one cohort highlights that evidence is not uniform.
In contrast, a Japanese case-control study found that a high intake of retinol (vitamin A) was associated with a greater severity of alopecia areata, suggesting a complex, non-linear relationship for some nutrients and highlighting the importance of dosage in achieving optimal hair health.

Finally, a cross-sectional study in China of 155 women with feminine alopecia highlighted the benefits of dietary iron, finding that iron supplementation was associated with improved hair growth.

The systematic review also cautioned against the impacts of specific suboptimal dietary and lifestyle choices (alcohol consumption or sugary beverages). For example, as already noted, a cross-sectional study of 1,028 young men in China found that excessive consumption of sugary drinks (>3500 ml/week) substantially increased hair loss. In another study, alcohol consumption was associated with both increased hair loss and premature hair depigmentation.

Other nutrients and foods were also highlighted: a 1971 clinical trial linked protein deprivation to reduced hair bulb diameter and pigmentation, while one cross-sectional study found that higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables and soy products were associated with reduced hair loss, though the soy finding was not statistically significant. Several randomised clinical trials of supplements (marine protein complex, eggshell membrane, persimmon leaf extract) showed improvements in hair density, gloss, or reduced loss, but many carried a high risk of bias, limiting the strength of these conclusions.

For more information see: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250825/Sugary-drinks-increase-hair-loss-risk-scientists-warn.aspx

09/12/2025

The midwife in me finds this funny 😂😂😂

08/12/2025

👉 If you’re experiencing tingling, burning, or numbness coment heart and I'll send you my free reversing metabolic disease guide.

🔥 The REAL Reason Your Neuropathy Isn't Getting Better…

Most people with diabetes (up to 50%) develop neuropathy, and the “standard care” only manages pain. Gabapentin, Lyrica, and antidepressants numb the symptoms of neuropathy, but they do not repair the underlying nerve damage.
But there is something backed by research that actually supports nerve health: Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA).

ALA helps your nerves by:
✔ Reducing oxidative stress
✔ Improving nerve blood flow
✔ Enhancing glucose uptake
✔ Regenerating vitamins C & E

Multiple European studies show that 600mg daily can improve symptoms and even nerve conduction. Germany prescribes it. The U.S. calls it “just a supplement.”
It’s not a miracle cure; advanced damage can’t be fully reversed. But early intervention and blood sugar control can slow progression and improve function.

👉 If you’re experiencing tingling, burning, or numbness coment heart and I'll send you my free reversing metabolic disease guide.

07/12/2025

Just a reminder!

I start in my new work home tomorrow! I’ll be available to all Mondays and Tuesdays 9-5pm.

Come and visit me at The Belair Pharmacy!

It’s located in the Belair Triangle Shopping Centre, right next door to the award winning Banana Boogie Bakery!

If you cant get in, feel free to give me a call on 08 8278 1961.

After Christmas, this will be the home of my new clinic room as well! So great that I can continue to provide my services to the communuty as well as have privare clinics.

So excited.

07/12/2025

Loving my community Christmas Tree! Bought this beauty at the Blackwood Christmas Tree Festival. I always try and pick one that either comes from a community group or kids. This year I chose Marion Life Community Services. Pretty.

06/12/2025

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