High blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects millions of people around the world. It is one of the main causes of heart disease and stroke.
Many people take medicine to control their blood pressure, but sometimes the medicine doesn’t work well enough. This can make it hard to keep blood pressure at a safe level.
A new study from the University of Maine has found something interesting—certain B vitamins might help lower blood pressure, especially in people whose blood pressure doesn’t respond well to regular medicine.
About 12.8% of people around the world have high blood pressure that stays too high even when they take several medications. Doctors usually want people to keep their blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.
In fact, many now recommend a target of 130/80 mmHg. But reaching this lower number is very hard for people with what is called drug-resistant hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure is dangerous because it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other serious problems.
One thing that may play a role in blood pressure is a natural chemical in the body called homocysteine. This chemical is connected to how our bodies use B vitamins, like B6, B12, folate (B9), and riboflavin (B2). If we don’t get enough of these vitamins, or if we have certain genes, homocysteine levels can go up.
When there is too much homocysteine in the body, it can make blood vessels tighten, which raises blood pressure. But the good news is that B vitamins can help bring down homocysteine levels.
The researchers looked at older studies and found that taking enough B vitamins can lower homocysteine and may also lower blood pressure by 6 to 13 mmHg. This means B vitamins could be a safe, affordable, and helpful way to lower blood pressure—especially for people whose medicine isn’t doing enough.
However, not all doctors agree on what a “normal” level of homocysteine should be. Some labs say anything up to 11.4 μmol/L is normal. But other experts think that the healthy level should be 10 μmol/L or less. This disagreement shows that we still need more research to understand what levels are best for good health.
Even though more studies are needed, this research suggests that B vitamins could play an important role in controlling blood pressure. They help the body work better and keep blood vessels healthy. But it’s very important not to start taking supplements on your own. Always talk to a doctor first to see if it’s right for you.
In short, using B vitamins might be a new and natural way to help people with high blood pressure—especially those who haven’t had success with medication. It could give hope to many people looking for better ways to manage their health.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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