Vitamin B Supplements May Protect Against Stroke

Taking Vitamin B pills may help reduce stroke risk, according to a new study from China.

There are about 795,000 people in the U.S. who have a stroke in a given year and a whopping 610,000 are first-time strokes. The condition is a leading cause of disability and even death in the country, according to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research has shown that a good diet and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of stroke.

"Previous studies have conflicting findings regarding the use of vitamin B supplements and stroke or heart attack. Some studies have even suggested that the supplements may increase the risk of these events," said Xu Yuming, with Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China, one of the study authors.

The study was based on data from 14 trials that had a total of 54,913 participants.  All the studies had looked at the difference in health of people who were on vitamin B pills versus people who were on placebo. Over 2,400 participants suffered from stroke during the study period.

Researchers found that people taking supplements had seven percent lower chance of having a stroke when compared to others. Vitamin B supplements, however, had no effects on the severity or death risk from stroke.

The study also found that folic acid, a supplemental form of folate, can reduce the protective effect of vitamin B. Folic acid is often added to bread, cereals and other grain products to increase their nutritional value.

"Based on our results, the ability of vitamin B to reduce stroke risk may be influenced by a number of other factors such as the body's absorption rate, the amount of folic acid or vitamin B12 concentration in the blood, and whether a person has kidney disease or high blood pressure," said Yuming in a news release. "Before you begin taking any supplements, you should always talk to your doctor."

The study is published in the journal Neurology.