A new study suggests that B vitamins may help lower blood pressure, especially for people whose blood pressure stays high even after taking medicine.
Researchers from the University of Maine found that lowering a substance in the blood called homocysteine with B vitamin supplements might help control high blood pressure.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a big health problem around the world. About 12.8% of people have drug-resistant hypertension. This means their blood pressure stays high even though they take three different kinds of medication.
In recent years, doctors have started using a lower number to define high blood pressure—130/80 mmHg instead of the older 140/90 mmHg. This change makes it even harder for many people to meet the target.
Homocysteine is a natural substance made in the body during metabolism. It is linked to how the body uses certain vitamins. If someone has too much homocysteine, it may be because of genetics or low levels of certain B vitamins like B6, B12, folate (B9), and riboflavin (B2).
Too much homocysteine can cause blood vessels to narrow. This makes it harder for blood to flow and raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
The good news is that homocysteine levels can be lowered safely and cheaply by taking vitamin supplements. In this study, researchers looked at results from earlier studies and found that B vitamins helped reduce blood pressure by 6 to 13 mmHg.
This means B vitamins could be helpful for people who don’t get enough results from their regular blood pressure medications.
The researchers also noted that many labs use outdated numbers when testing homocysteine levels. The recommended level is 10 μmol/L or lower, but some labs still treat 11.4 μmol/L as normal. The researchers believe this number should be lower to better protect people’s health.
Even though vitamin supplements can help, the researchers warn that they should be taken with care. Anyone who wants to try B vitamins to manage blood pressure should talk to a doctor or healthcare provider first.
This study was led by Merrill Elias and published in the American Journal of Hypertension. It shows that B vitamins could be a simple, low-cost way to help people lower their blood pressure—especially those who don’t respond well to regular treatment.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about blood pressure drug that may increase risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and these teas could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about nutrient that could strongly lower high blood pressure, and results showing this novel antioxidant may help reverse blood vessels aging by 20 years.
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