A new study shows women who consume more folate are less likely to develop high blood pressure.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston analyzed data from two large studies, which included more than 156,000 women.
Researchers gave the women questionnaires, which asked about their folate and supplemental folic acid intake. None of the participants had high blood pressure at the start of the study.
Researchers found younger women in the study who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms of total folate (dietary plus supplemental) had a 46-percent reduced risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who consumed less than 200 micrograms of folate a day.
Researchers also say older women who consumed more folate had about an 18-percent reduced risk of developing high blood pressure.
About 65 million people in the United States have high blood pressure.
Authors of this study conclude, “Higher intake of folate is associated with a decreased risk of incident hypertension, especially in younger women. Supplemental folic acid appears to be independently associated with a reduction in risk, and future trials should examine folic acid supplementation as a means of lowering blood pressure and preventing hypertension in young women.”
SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2005;293:320-329
