A recently published study indicates that getting a daily dose of folic acid may lower your risk of stroke.
That’s right – the same vitamin pregnant mothers are encouraged to take to prevent a number of birth defects, comes back to help you in your golden years.
Researchers took a look back at eight previous trials of folic acid where participants suffered from strokes in the end.
The researchers found that taking folic acid supplements reduced stroke risk by 18%. They further found that taking it for a prolonged period of time (over 36 months) reduced the risk of stroke by more than 20%.
Further studies need to be done to determine the required daily dose for stroke prevention. Currently the recommended daily intake is 0.4 mg.
But the good news is that folic acid is easily found in many foods. In its natural form it’s called folate and is found in the following:
— beans and peas (half a cup of boiled blackeye peas gives 105mg) — dark green leafy veggies (half a cup of boiled from frozen spinach gives 100mg; 1 cup raw gives 60mg) — asparagus (4 boiled spears gives 85mg) — avocado (half a cup sliced gives 45mg) — nuts and seeds (1 ounce of dry roasted peanuts gives 40mg) — oranges (1 small orange gives 30mg) In North America certain foods are also fortified with the synthetic version, called folic acid, including: — enriched cereal — enriched grain products, including white and whole wheat bread
Until researchers discover the exact dosage required to help prevent stroke, it’s easy in the meantime, to get your DRI of folic acid from food sources, or even a multi-vitamin if need be.