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Stroke Diagram

Research finds that getting enough folic acid in your diet with or without supplements can lower your risk of stroke and in some people, heart disease. However, it’s important to note that other studies have found that people who took in too much folic acid actually increased their risk for heart disease. So, what can you make out of these findings? If you eat healthy, you won’t need to take supplements which could inadvertently put you at risk for a heart attack.

How Folic Acid Helps Decrease Risk for Stroke

Homocysteine is associated with heart disease and stroke. Folic acid lowers blood levels of this amino acid, which is why it can decrease your risk for stroke, while it does not for heart disease.

In a study by Wang and Colleagues from Chicago’s Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, folic acid decreased the risk of stroke in people who did not have a history of stroke, took folic acid supplements for more than three years and had significant decreases in homocysteine levels.

Getting Enough Folic Acid

Since many foods are fortified with folic acid, you don’t have to go far to get your daily recommended amount. The following are foods you can eat for folic acid:

• Enriched white bread
• Enriched pasta
• Whole wheat bread
• Beans
• Peas
• Orange juice
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Cereal
• Collards
• Grapefruit or pineapple juice

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