Scientists from the University of Maine have made an interesting discovery about how certain vitamins could help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a common problem worldwide, and many people struggle to keep it under control.
In fact, about 12.8% of people with high blood pressure can’t lower it even with medication. This is known as drug-resistant high blood pressure.
Blood pressure measures how hard the heart works to pump blood through the body. Ideally, doctors want to see blood pressure below 140/90, but now they are suggesting even lower numbers, like 130/80, for better health.
What is Homocysteine?
Inside our bodies, there’s a substance called homocysteine. It plays a role in many body processes, but when we don’t have enough of certain vitamins—especially B6, B12, folate (also called B9), and B2—homocysteine levels can rise.
This can be a problem because higher levels of homocysteine can make blood vessels narrower, which in turn increases blood pressure and raises the risk of other health problems.
The Role of B Vitamins
The researchers found that when people took more of these B vitamins, it helped to lower homocysteine levels. By lowering homocysteine, blood pressure also dropped. This discovery is exciting because B vitamins are inexpensive and could provide a simple way to help manage high blood pressure.
It’s almost like a magic trick, but it’s based on real science! The best part is that these vitamins are easy to find and don’t cost much, making them an accessible option for many people.
Not Everyone is Convinced
While the findings are promising, not everyone is sure that this works for everyone. Some experts believe that more studies are needed to confirm that taking B vitamins can really help lower blood pressure for all patients.
That’s why the scientists leading this research reviewed a lot of other studies to see what others had found on the subject.
What the Researchers Found
After reviewing the existing research, the scientists concluded that taking B vitamins could lower blood pressure by 6 to 13 points. For example, if someone’s blood pressure is 140, it could drop to 127, which is a significant improvement!
What’s a Normal Homocysteine Level?
Most doctors say that homocysteine levels should be less than 10 micromoles per liter (µmol/L), while others allow levels as high as 11.4. However, these scientists believe that keeping homocysteine levels even lower could be better for overall health and help keep blood pressure down.
B Vitamins as an Extra Helper
For people who struggle to lower their blood pressure with medication, B vitamins could be a helpful addition to their treatment plan.
However, it’s important to remember that anyone considering taking vitamins should always talk to their doctor first to make sure it’s the right choice for them.
This exciting research was led by Merrill Elias and his team, who shared their findings in the American Journal of Hypertension. Thanks to their work, we now know that B vitamins might offer a new way to help manage blood pressure in a safe, simple, and affordable way.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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