Folate Lowers High Blood Pressure Risk For Women

Folate, a vitamin already known for its power to prevent birth defects, also appears to reduce the risk of high blood pressure for women both young and old. New research shows that young women who consumed more than 800 micrograms of folate a day -- about the amount found in two multivitamins -- reduced their risk of developing high blood pressure by nearly a third compared to those who had less than 200 micrograms a day. Folate also reduced the risk of high blood pressure in older women, but to a lesser degree, the study found. The study was authored by Dr. John P. Forman, a research and clinical fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. It was presented Oct. 11 at the American Heart Association's annual high blood pressure research conference in Chicago.