Folic Acid reduces risk of hypertension in women

Folic acid supplements, widely used by women to prevent birth defects, may prevent hypertension in women, possibly due to its ability to relax blood vessels and ease blood flow. In a new study, published in the January 19th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analyzed health data collected from over 150,000 women participating in the Nurses Health Study. Researchers found that the women aged 27 to 44, who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms of folic acid daily -- from foods and supplements -- had a 46 percent decreased risk of developing hypertension compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day. And in the women aged 43 to 70, those with a high intake had an 18 percent reduced risk of developing hypertension.

Folate occurs naturally in substances such as orange juice and leafy green vegetables, and is added to certain food products, but getting the vitamin from foods alone failed to lower the risk of hypertension. Higher total folate, obtained from both diet and supplements, reduced the risk of hypertension, particularly in younger women.