Homocysteine (cont.)
How many vitamins should I take to lower my homocysteine level?
Daily recommended doses of folate, B vitamins, and multivitamins are
generally sufficient in regard to lowering homocysteine levels. These daily
doses are recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the doses in
a specific product are printed on the label of the vitamin bottle by the
manufacturer. Usually, folate supplementation is recommended at 1 milligram
daily; vitamin B6 is recommended at 10 milligram per day; and vitamin B12 at
one-half milligram per day.
Does lowering homocysteine levels prevent heart attacks and strokes?
Currently, there is no direct proof that taking folic acid and B vitamins to
lower homocysteine levels prevents heart attacks and
strokes. However, in a
large population study involving women, those who had the highest consumption of
folic acid (usually in the form of multivitamins) had fewer heart attacks than
those who consumed the least amount of folic acid. In this study, the
association between dietary intake of folate and vitamin B6 and risk of heart
disease was more noticeable than between dietary intake of vitamin B12 and heart
disease, which was minimal.
Many other observational studies have been performed to assess the effect of
folate and the other B vitamins on heart disease. Most of these studies have
concluded that oral intake of folate has been associated to lower risk of heart
disease, possibly because due to lowering of homocysteine levels. The relation
between oral intake of vitamin B12 and B6 and heart disease was not as obvious
in many of these studies. (5,6,7)
In one study, it was concluded that even in people with elevated homocysteine
levels due to genetic reasons, oral intake of folate and possibly the other B
vitamins was related to lower incidence of heart disease. (5,6,7)
Most of these data, however, are obtained from observational studies rather
than purely controlled scientific data. Therefore, it is important to mention
that despite these studies suggesting an association between the intake of these
vitamins and the lower incidence of heart disease, in general, there is no
compelling clinical evidence to treat hyperhomocysteinemia other than
homocystinuria (the severe genetic form) in regards to heart disease, stroke,
or blood clots.
Next: What should I do to prevent heart attacks and strokes? »
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