 |
|
|
|
|
Vitamin B, Folate Supplements Won't Help Heart
|
| | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 So, "the observational data was great, but the interventional studies were negative," Lichtenstein said.
Food in the United States is routinely fortified with folic acid, because it reduces the incidence of a specific class of birth defects called neural tube defects. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found in many fruits and vegetables.
"We have been optimistic about the role of antioxidants such as vitamin B in preventing heart disease, yet many of these large trials have shown that there is no benefit," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Text Continues Below
It's hard to say whether the reduction in cardiovascular disease seen in some observational trials was caused by vitamin supplementation or because "people taking the supplements have good lifestyles in general," Steinbaum said.
It is also possible that the benefits of vitamin supplements show up only after many years, Steinbaum said. She does recommend a daily multivitamin pill. "But at this point, it is certainly hard to recommend extra supplements when we don't have proof of benefit," Steinbaum said. "What we can recommend is a diet with fruits and vegetables that have antioxidant vitamins in them," she said.
More information
There's more on folic acid supplementation at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
|
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 8/19/2008
|
|
SOURCES: Alice M. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., Stanley Gershoff professor, nutrition, Tufts University, Boston; Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., director, women and heart disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Aug. 20, 2008, Journal of the American Medical Association
|
.gif)
