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Supplements
containing the B vitamin folic acid may help reduce the risk
of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots associated with high
levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood.
While homocysteine
is a normal byproduct of metabolism of the amino acid methionine,
high levels of it in the blood can be dangerous. Studies have
shown that with each unit increase of homocysteine, the risk
of ischemic heart disease, which reduces blood flow to the
heart, increased by 32 to 42 percent. Risks for stroke and
deep vein thrombosis (DVT), blood clots in deep veins that
can be life threatening, showed similar increases.
Folic acid helps
to break down homocysteine, and it is thought that homocysteine
levels can be lowered with daily folic acid supplements, thereby
reducing the risks of heart disease, stroke and DVT.
However, the review
notes that because few studies have shown that folic acid
prevents these conditions, the American Heart Association
does not recommend taking the vitamin specifically for this
purpose.
British
Medical Journal 2002;325:1202-1206 Full Text Article
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