Folic Acid Supplements May Counter Atherosclerosis

Folic acid is a B vitamin, which has been shown to reduce homocysteine, elevated levels of which are suggested to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists from Anhui Medical University and Peking University First Hospital (China) completed a meta-analysis that included data from 10 clinical trials involving a total of 2,052 participants. The team found that higher levels of folic acid consistently associated with a significantly reduced thickening of arterial walls – a condition called carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) – a marker of atherosclerosis. Further, the data was found to suggest that the greatest reductions in homocysteine via folic acid supplementation yielded the greatest heart health benefits.