Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin used in supplements. Folate is the natural occurring form of vitamin B9 found in dietary sources. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 400 mcg of folate for adult men and women. An article in the March 2009 issue of "Stroke" reports a dietary deficiency of folate is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Reduces Homocysteine Levels
The Linus Pauling Institute, or LPI, reports that more than 80 studies provide evidence that an increased blood level of homocysteine increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The LPI also reports that although many studies have found that folic acid supplements significantly reduce blood levels of homocysteine, large studies do not provide good evidence that folic acid supplements decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, diets high in folate might. A study in the June 2010 issue of "Stroke" reports that diets high in folate reduced the risk of heart disease in men and women. This study, conducted in Japan, involved more than 55,000 participants.
Decreases Atherosclerosis Risk
Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease in which cholesterol builds up in the walls of arteries, causing chronic inflammation. A study in the March 2009 issue of "Stroke" reports that vitamin B supplements containing 5 mg of folic acid, 0.4 mg of cobalamin and 0.4 mg of pyridoxine decreased the progression of early markers for atherosclerosis in healthy people who had low levels of folic acid and high levels of homocysteine. The results from this study suggest that folic acid in combination with other B vitamins decreases the risk of atherosclerosis, but only in people who have a folic acid or other vitamin B deficiency.
Reduces Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects are rare but account for more than a third of infant deaths caused by birth defects. A review in the May 2005 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reports that three studies have demonstrated that heart defects in children were substantially reduced if, while pregnant, their mothers took multivitamins containing folic acid. This study notes that the reduction in heart defects is not completely attributed to folic acid in the multivitamins, but it does say that congenital heart defects were higher in the offspring of women who took a drug that antagonized the actions of folic acid during their pregnancies.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Folic Acid
- "The American Journal of Cardiology"; Meta-Analysis of Folic Acid Supplementation Trials on Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Interaction with Baseline Homocysteine Levels; E.R. Miller et al.; August 2010
- "Stroke"; High-Dose B-Vitamin Supplementation and Progression of Subclinical Atherosclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial; Howard N. Hodis et al.; March 2009
- American Heart Association: Homocysteine, Folic Acid and Cardiovascular Disease
- American Heart Association: Diet High in B-vitamins Lowers Heart Risks in Japanese Study
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Folic Acid Supplementation and the Occurrence of Congenital Heart Defects, Orofacial Clefts, Multiple Births, and Miscarriage; Lynn B. Bailey and Robert J. Berry; May 2005
Member Comments