Eat foods with b vitamins folic acid and B-6, reduces the risk of death by stroke and diseases of the heart for women and to the risk of heart failure in men, according to Japanese research reduce reported in stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
"People in Japanese need more intake of folic acid and vitamin B-6, which lead to the prevention of heart disease," said Hiroyasu ISO, m.d., Professor of public health at the University of Osaka.
The conclusions of the value of b vitamins corresponding studies in Europe and North America, although the consumption of vitamin B-6 in Japan in the United States is generally lower.
Researchers data from 23 119 analyzed men and women 35 611 (40-79 years), the questionnaires on food frequency for the great cooperation in Japan (JACC) study completed. During an average 14 years died 986, cardiac 424 disease and 2 087 all contributions to-cardiovascular diseases.
Investigators have divided into five groups based on their consumption of vitamin B-6, folic acid and vitamin B-12 participants. By comparison with diets minimum and maximum values for the individual nutrients, they found that the consumption of folic acid and vitamin B - 6 rose with significantly fewer deaths from heart failure in men and significantly less than death from stroke, disease was heart and total cardiovascular disease in women. Vitamin B-12 was not reduce mortality risk.
The protective effect of folic acid and vitamin B-6 was not changed, if researchers adjusted the presence of heart-vascular risk factors, even if it complements user analysis eliminated.
Folic acid and vitamin B-6 can protect against heart disease reduce homocysteine levels, investigators said. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood which is affected by nutrition, and inheritance. Folic acid and other b vitamins help, breaking the homocysteine in the body.
A direct causal link not set up, but the evidence was also homocysteine can damage to the inner wall of the arteries and promote the formation of blood clots.
Folic acid include vegetables and fruit, whole or cereals fortified, enriched cereals, beans, and legumes. Sources of vitamin B-6 are vegetables, fish, liver, meat, cereals, whole and enriched.
Co-authors are: Renzhe Cui, MD; Chigusa date, m.d.; Shogo Kikuchi, m.d.; Akiko Tamakoshi, m.d.; and JACC study group. Author information and the sources of funding are on the manuscript.