Vitamin B12 can significantly reduce a person’s likelihood to develop heart disease. This is because vitamin B12 is absolutely vital for the metabolism of a toxic amino acid, which is known as homocysteine.

High levels of homocysteine in the blood lead to heart attacks and strokes. The primary reason is that this amino acid engenders plaque formation in the arteries, also called atherosclerosis.

The first person to discover the connection between homocysteine and atherosclerosis was Dr. Kilmar McCully in 1969. He firmly disagreed with the theory that too much fat cells in the bloodstream is the primary cause of heart disease.

Today, most doctors still test for blood cholesterol levels to predict a patient’s cardiovascular risk. Ironically, more than half of all victims of heart attacks have normal blood cholesterol levels.

Homocysteine levels in the blood commonly become elevated as people age. Other factors include usage of prescription drugs, caffeinated drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Consequently, vitamin B12 supplementation is highly recommended for prevention of heart disease.

Birth control pills (a.k.a. oral contraceptives) reduce the levels of vitamin B12 in the user. The estrogen hormone contained in the pills is responsible for this.

What are the potential side effects of a vitamin B12 reduction?

Women taking birth control pills (a.k.a. oral contraceptives) should be aware that vitamin B12 is necessary for the metabolism of the dangerous amino acid called homocysteine.

What can homocysteine do?

A high homocysteine level is known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Basically, this toxic amino acid encourages plaque formation in the arteries, which then leads to coronary heart disease and stroke.

Are there other side effects of low vitamin B12 blood levels?

A vitamin B12 deficiency has been known to cause memory loss, neuropathy (nerve cell death), depression, psychosis and even urinary incontinence.

What can be done for a woman who is taking birth control pills?

Women using estrogen pills are advised to supplement their diets with vitamin B12, as well as vitamins B6, C and zinc. Levels of all these vitamins have been shown to be affected by the use of birth control pills.

There is a strong correlation between the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease and a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This is the conclusion reached based on a study that was performed by Dr. Hui-Xin Wang and colleagues, and published in the Journal Neurology in 2001.

For purposes of this study, a random sample of 370 people living in Sweden was utilized. These 370 participants were aged 75 years or older and were mentally sound. These participants were not supplementing their diets with B12 or folate.

The researchers measured the blood levels of Vitamin 12 and folate of the 370 participants at the beginning of the study. These men and women were then followed for three years to see who would develop Alzheimer’s Disease and who would not.

The participants in the study who initially had either low blood levels of Vitamin B12 or folate were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease than those whose blood levels of these vitamins were found to be within the range of normal.

As a result of this study, Dr. Hui-Xin Wang and colleagues concluded that Vitamin B12 and folate levels should be monitored in the elderly population. Doing so will help prevent members of this population from developing Alzheimer’s Disease.