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
It is interesting to note that a mainline traditional medical journal is now publishing studies in orthomolecular nutrition. They are using 5 mg of folic acid to achieve these benefits. That is far more than the RDA of 400 mcg in adults and 800 mcg in pregnant women.
Folic acid clearly works and the higher dose is probably helpful to counteract the abnormally high levels of homocysteine that the typical American diet generates.
However, most people have it all mixed up. They are eating folic acid fortified grains, rather then eating the vegetables that are the major source of folic acid.
Folic acid is only one of the many nutrients that are in vegetables that increase your health. The key is to decrease your grains and increase your vegetables and then you won't have to worry about folic acid or about getting many chronic health diseases.
If you are eating from the optimal food choice program then you will be getting nearly 20 pounds of vegetables a week and you will not need to take any folic acid supplements as it will be in the vegetables that you are eating.
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