Folate reduces stroke risk in men

Men who consume relatively large amounts of folic acid are at significantly lower risk of the most common type of stroke. During a 14-year-long study, men with the highest intake of folic acid were almost 30 percent less likely to develop an ischaemic stroke - caused by a blocked blood vessel - than men with the lowest folic acid intake. Researchers from the Northwestern University in Illinois said that this is not the first report to demonstrate that folic acid can reduce the risk of stroke. The results appear conclusive and consistent enough to suggest that men change their behaviour to protect their health. The recommended dietary allowance for folic acid in adults is 400 micrograms per day, which men can get from their diet or a supplement. Folic acid, or folate, is a B vitamin that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Previous research has shown that extra amounts of folic acid help reduce levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which certain studies have suggested can increase a person's risk of having a stroke. It has been shown that an excess of homocysteine, which the body makes when it absorbs and uses protein, can somehow weaken the walls of the arteries. In the current study, researchers followed 43,732 men between the ages of 40 and 75 for 14 years, noting what they ate and whether they developed ischaemic or haemorrhagic strokes, a relatively rare type of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain. During the follow-up period, 725 strokes occurred, 455 of which were ischaemic. Men who consumed the most folic acid - half of them had intakes over 821 micrograms per day - had a significantly lower risk of ischaemic stroke than men who consumed the least amount folic acid (around 262 micrograms each day or less). Folic acid intake had no effect on men's risk of a haemorrhagic stroke. A high intake of vitamin B12 also appeared to reduce the risk of ischaemic stroke, while there appeared to be no advantage to relatively large amounts of vitamin B6. Although folic acid and vitamins B12 & B6 all theoretically influence homocysteine levels in the body, the researchers noted that B6 may have failed to affect stroke risk because most men included in the study obtained enough of the vitamin, or because the vitamin interacts with homocysteine less strongly than the other B vitamins.