Supplements of folic acid may improve cardiovascular health and reduce the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), suggests a new study. Daily doses of 400 micrograms of the B vitamin led to significant improvements in blood pressure and improved blood flow after 16 weeks of supplementation, according to results published in the British Journal of Surgery. Furthermore, equal doses of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the naturally circulating form of folate, produced the same results, leading the researchers to conclude that “5-MTHF may be a safe and effective alternative to folic acid”.
Supplements of either folic acid or 5-MTHF could reduce homocysteine levels, and improve blood flow in people with PAD. PAD is associated with decreased blood flow in the legs, and occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits.
Compared to the placebo group, both the folic acid and 5-MTHF groups displayed significant reductions in homocysteine. Measures of blood flow, namely the so-called pulse wave velocity (PWV), decreased in the 5-MTHF group by 1.1 meters per second, and by 0.9 m/s in the folic acid group.
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