Saturday, April 24, 2010

Vitamin B lowers heart disease risk

Individuals following a diet rich in vitamin B6 and folic acid are less vulnerable to die from cardiovascular diseases, a new study finds.

While previous studies had reported controversial results regarding the influence of vitamin B and folate on reducing the risk of heart disease, the new research approves the compounds to be effective.

"This study is the first to show that high dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B6 were associated with a reduced risk of heart failure mortality for men," the authors noted.

According to the study published in Stroke, increased dietary intake of folate and vitamin B6 can protect men from heart failure-related death. As for women, following such a diet reduces their risk of dying from stroke, coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

Folate and vitamin B6 are believed to reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular events by lowering serum levels of homocysteine, an amino acid directly linked to heart disease.

Vitamin B12 intake, however, is not associated with reduced mortality risk, the study reported.

Sourse of Vitamin B6:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp