Vitamin B12 and Heart Disease

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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.