Folic acid is a type of water-soluble B vitamin available in a variety of foods, from produce to red meat. Getting adequate folic acid in your diet may help improve cholesterol by raising your levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. If you think you need to take a folic acid or vitamin B-complex supplement, let your health care provider know to ensure that it does not interact negatively with any of your medications.
Folic Acid vs. Folate
The terms folic acid and folate are basically interchangeable. Folate is the form of the vitamin that occurs naturally in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements and fortified foods. Your body absorbs and utilizes synthetic folic acid easier than folate. As a healthy adult, you need 400 mcg of daily folic acid or folate, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports.
Types of Cholesterol
When your doctor draws your blood to evaluate your cholesterol levels, he is looking at several different numbers. Your total cholesterol level should be under 200 mg/dL for optimal heart health, reports MayoClinic.com. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, is the "bad" cholesterol that travels through your bloodstream and builds up on the walls of your arteries. HDL is the "good" cholesterol that sweeps through, picking up excess LDL and dropping it off in the liver, where it is broken down. Your LDL needs to be below 100 mg/dL, while your HDL should be above 60 mg/dL. Having low levels of HDL cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease.
Folic Acid Functions
Folic acid may help boost your HDL and improve cholesterol ratios by lowering homocysteine levels in your blood. Homocysteine is a type of amino acid that occurs naturally in your body. High homocysteine levels are often associated with a greater risk of heart disease, leading to heart attack or stroke. In order to reduce homocysteine, you may need to take as much as 800 mcg of folic acid daily, explains the Sarvar Heart Center at the University of Arizona. In addition, you may need to take vitamin B-6 and B-12 supplements to improve homocysteine levels and reach ideal cholesterol levels.
More Information
Researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA conducted a study published in "Preventive Medicine" in 2009 that looked into the benefits of certain supplements for heart disease risk factors. For one year, research participants ingested daily capsules made up of folic acid, garlic extract, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6 and L-arginine. At the end of the study, researchers noted that participants had lower total cholesterol, decreased LDL and increased HDL. In addition, participants had a slower progression of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. There is the potential that folic acid may play a role in improving your cholesterol levels, thus reducing your risk of heart disease.
References
- "Preventive Medicine"; Aged Garlic Extract Supplemented with B Vitamins, Folic Acid and L-arginine Retards the Progression of Subclinical Atherosclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial; M.J. Budoff, et al.; August-September 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate
- MayoClinic.com; Cholesterol Levels: What Numbers Should You Aim For?; June 2011
- Sarvar Heart Center: Be Selective About the Vitamins You Take
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