While some of the expected benefits of taking vitamin B supplements are based on scientific fact, the pills may or may not deliver all of the benefits that an individual may be hoping for. Luckily, a new study presents concrete evidence of one potential advantage of taking vitamin B.
People who regularly take vitamin B supplements have a slightly lower risk of stroke than those who don’t, according to the study conducted at Zhengzhou University in China. Scientists examined the results of 14 different previous studies comprising almost 50,000 subjects. They found that vitamin B supplement takers are about 7% less likely to experience a stroke than those who regularly took a placebo instead. Unfortunately, taking vitamin B seemed to have no effect on the severity of a stroke, including the risk that the stroke victim dies.
Vitamin B and Stroke Risk
According to neurologist Dr. Xu Yuming, one of the lead authors of the study, a variety of factors can influence the extent to which vitamin B supplements mitigate stroke risk. Depending on the individual, greater or lower levels of vitamin B may be absorbed into the body, and different concentrations of vitamin B may ultimately be found in the blood. People with high blood pressure or kidney disease may also react differently to vitamin B supplementation when it comes to altering stroke risk. For these reasons and many more, Dr. Yuming suggests talking to your doctor before beginning any nutritional supplement regimen.
A stroke is defined as an interruption of blood flow to the brain, typically caused when a blood vessel bursts or a blood clot prevents blood from entering the brain. The most common factors that increase stroke risk include high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking. According to the researchers behind the new study, however, these factors only account for about 50% of stroke risk.
Researchers have therefore suspected that other factors may be important to determining stroke risk as well, and zeroed in on homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood. Certain studies have indicated that homocysteine, in high concentrations, could increase vascular disease risk. Unfortunately, studies so far have been mixed as to whether taking vitamin B supplements to lower homocysteine levels also reduces stroke risk. In fact, according to Dr. Yuming, some previous studies have actually indicated that taking a vitamin B supplement increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. However, Dr. Yuming’s study indicated the opposite.
Vitamin B: Are Supplements Necessary?
As with all supplements, you should only consider taking vitamin B supplements if you’re not obtaining sufficient amounts of the vitamin through your diet. Vitamin B is actually a relatively easy nutrient to incorporate into your diet because it’s contained in a wide variety of foods such as lentils, beans, bananas, potatoes and whole grains.
Further, expert sources including the American Cancer Society agree that vitamin B supplements should not be taken in excess of the recommended dosage. Getting too much vitamin B3, either in your diet or through supplementation, can lead to health problems such as high blood sugar, vomiting, nausea and impaired vision.
The Bottom Line
A new study conducted at Zhengzhou University in China suggests that taking a vitamin B supplement may reduce your chance of having a stroke. However, some earlier studies indicated exactly the opposite. You shouldn’t take a pill or liquid supplement for any vitamin or nutrient unless it’s lacking in your diet, according to experts.
The full text of the study is available online in the scientific journal Neurology.
