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Article: B vitamins may help stave off heart disease.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- March 22, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Q. What about homocysteine and heart disease? I keep reading about this and that B vitamins are helpful. Can you explain?
A. As the luster fades on the ability of vitamin E and other supplemental antioxidant vitamins to ward off heart disease, the star is rising for vitamin B supplements.
It should be emphasized that dietary sources of antioxidants such as fruits and vegetables do appear to be heart protective.
The B vitamins folate (folic acid), B6, and B12 are needed to hold down blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid normally present in the body.
High homocysteine is generally thought to be an independent risk factor for heart ...