Diet high in B-vitamins lowers heart risks in Japanese

Eat more foods containing B vitamins (folic acid, B-6) reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease for women and may reduce the risk of heart failure in men, according to research presented in the Japanese Journal of the American Association of Heart.

"People need to eat a diet with more folic acid and vitamin B-6, which can lead to heart disease prevention," said Hiroyasu Iso, MD, professor of public health at Osaka University.

The conclusions about the value of B vitamins are consistent with studies in Europe and North America.

The researchers analyzed data from 23,119 men and 35,611 women (ages 40-79) who completed food frequency questionnaires as part of a large Japanese study. During an average 14 year follow up, 986 died of stroke, heart disease and 424 of 2087 diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The researchers divided the participants into five groups based on their intake of folic acid, vitamins B-6 and vitamin B-12. Comparing it against their diets with more or less of each nutrient. It was discovered that an increased intake of folic acid and vitamin B-6 is associated with a significantly lower number of deaths due to heart failure in men and significantly fewer deaths from stroke, heart disease and cardiovascular disease in women. The intake of vitamin B-12 was not associated with reduced risk of mortality.

The protective effect of folic acid and vitamin B-6 did not change when the researchers adjusted the search for the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, nor when they eliminated users to complement the analysis of B vitamins.

Folic acid and vitamin B-6 may help protect against cardiovascular disease by decreasing homocysteine levels, said pesquisasdores. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that is affected by diet and heredity. Folic acid and other B vitamins help break down homocysteine in the body.

There is a direct causal link, but evidence has shown that homocysteine can damage the lining of arteries and promoting blood clots.

The sources of folate are vegetables and fruits, whole grain or enriched, fortified cereals, beans and vegetables. Sources of vitamin B-6 include vegetables, fish, liver, meat, whole grains and fortified cereals.

Study highlights:


* In a large study in Japan, women who reported eating more foods containing folic acid, vitamins B and B-6 were less likely to suffer strokes and heart disease.
* Men who reported diets rich in B vitamins were less likely to suffer from heart failure.