Jan. 18, 2005
Women who get a lot of folic acid in their diet or through supplements are less likely to have high blood pressure.
A new study shows that younger women who got at least 1,000 micrograms of folic acid a day from their diet or supplements had a 46% lower risk of developing high blood pressure.high blood pressure.
Folic acid is a B-complex vitamin found naturally in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and lentils. Folic acid, also known as folate, can also be found in vitamin supplements and fortified foods such as breads and breakfast cereals.
Researchers say folic acid is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure by helping blood vessels relax and improve blood flow.
Previous studies have shown that diets rich in folic acid can improve blood pressure, but researchers say this is the first study to show that higher folic acid intake is associated with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects an estimated 65 million people in the U.S. Since the risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age, researchers say identifying ways to reduce a person's risk of the disease through diet and lifestyle could have a major impact on public health.
In the study, which appears in the Jan. 19 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analyzed diet and blood pressure information from more than 150,000 women. None of the women had a history of high blood pressure.
Information on folic acid from dietary sources and supplements was collected from the women and updated every four years.
