A new study suggests that B vitamins might help lower blood pressure, especially for people whose blood pressure doesn’t go down with regular medicine.
The study was done by researchers at the University of Maine, who looked at how B vitamins can reduce a substance in the blood called homocysteine. They found that lowering homocysteine could help control high blood pressure.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a serious health issue that affects people all over the world. Around 12.8% of people have what’s called drug-resistant hypertension. This means their blood pressure stays high even after taking three different types of medicine.
New guidelines say that blood pressure should be below 130/80 mmHg, which is lower than the old target of 140/90 mmHg. This makes it even harder to keep blood pressure under control.
Homocysteine is a natural substance that forms in the body during metabolism. When people don’t have enough B vitamins—like B6, B12, folate (B9), and riboflavin (B2)—homocysteine levels can rise too high.
High levels of homocysteine can make blood vessels narrow, which raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
The good news is that lowering homocysteine is easy and inexpensive. Taking B vitamin supplements can bring levels down. In this study, the researchers looked at results from earlier studies and found that taking B vitamins lowered blood pressure by 6 to 13 mmHg.
This means that B vitamins could be added to regular treatments to help people with hard-to-control blood pressure. They might not replace medication but could make it work better or help on their own for some people.
The researchers also said there’s a problem with how homocysteine levels are tested. Most labs say a level up to 11.4 μmol/L is normal, but this study suggests that anything above 10 μmol/L might already be too high. They believe the safe level should be lower and lab standards should be updated.
Even though B vitamins are generally safe and low-cost, people should not take them without medical advice. It’s best to talk to a doctor before starting any supplements, especially if you already take medication for high blood pressure.
This research, led by Merrill Elias, was published in the American Journal of Hypertension. It shows that B vitamins might be a helpful and affordable way to support better blood pressure control.
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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