|
Folic acid may lower the risk of heart
disease by preventing
damage to the inner lining of arteries.
The study found that heart disease patients
who took 5 milligrams (mg) of folic acid daily for 12 weeks
had slightly better functioning
of their arterial inner lining, or endothelium,
than those who took an inactive placebo, and a greater ability
of their arteries to widen appropriately.
According to the researchers, folic
acid may work by lowering homocysteine,
a substance in the blood that has been linked to heart disease.
Too much homocysteine, which is formed naturally when protein
is broken down, may cause oxidative damage to the endothelium,
the study concludes.
Oxidative damage is caused by free
radicals -- byproducts of the body's normal processes
that can damage body tissues. In 1998, the US Food and Drug
Administration implemented a policy of adding folic acid
to grain foods -- including cereals, breads, pasta and flour.
Journal
of the American College of Cardiology June 1, 2001;37:1858-1863
| 