A 42-year-old member asked:
Friend takes vitamin b6, b12, and folic acid on a daily basis, he says it prevents heart disease, stroke and mental depression. is this true?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Yes for some-depends: B6, B12 & Folic Acid all lower homocysteine, a metabolite of methionine.High homocysteine is a better predictor of risk of heart disease & stroke than cholesterol, high BP & smoking! these vits. Are proven to lower stroke risk but not yet proven to reduce heart attack risk-but likely will for anyone with high homocysteine. See
http://www.Patrickholford.Com/index.Php/blog/blogarticle/171/ & comment:.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
Dr. Randy Baker commented
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Provided original answer
It is reasonable to ask your doctor to check your homocysteine level. If over 10 it would be wise to not only take B6, B12 & folate but trimethylglycine. High homocysteine is also associated with depression. Many with depression are among the 30 % of the population that needs to take the L-5-MTHF form of folate instead of folic acid.
May 3, 2013
Last updated Jun 25, 2014
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