New Insights About Vitamin B

I just read an article about high levels of homocystene, which is an amino acid in blood, being an important cause for heart disease. The higher the homocysteine, the greater the likelihood of heart attack and strokes. These levels can be reduced by taking Vitamin B supplements like B6, folic acid, and B12.

The argument was so strong that several independent investigations were launched, all designed to answer the question: If homocysteine causes atherosclerotic heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, does supplementation of higher doses of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid reduce risk?

Over the last two years, and eight studies, the researchers seem to agree:

Vitamin B supplements reduce homocysteine blood levels, but do not reduce likelihood of heart attack and stroke.

So should we toss our B vitamins in the garbage disposer?

Absolutely not. Just because it seems that B6, B12, and folic acid do not reduce cardiovascular events, several other questions need answering:

Why does homocysteine serve such a powerful role in predicting heart disease and stroke? Is it a marker for something else? Is taking vitamin B just a partial solution and some key element is missing from the equation? Or, is it the wrong treatment altogether?

In everyday life, high homocysteine can also signal deficiencies of vitamins B12 and folic acid, less commonly B6. While supplementation may not address cardiovascular risk, it can prevent anemia, help maintain stamina, improve mental function, and provide other health benefits.

In a lot of ways, the failure of vitamin B to reduce cardiovascular risks, like strokes and heart attacks, raises as many questions as it answers. There are plenty more issues to explore.

Homocysteine research will continue to fascinate researchers, and I’m sure there will be more study results coming.