Folic acid may reduce blood pressure

B vitamins had been shown previously to reduce heart attacks, so this may not be an enormous surprise, but it is still very good news :)

Forbes.com:

"Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who consumed high levels of the B vitamin from food and supplements significantly reduced their risk of developing hypertension"

As the Forbes article points out:

"It is important to emphasize that our study, although providing evidence of the link between folate and blood pressure, is not proof that folate can be used clinically to lower blood pressure."

"Studies show folate can decrease the risk for neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. In addition to supplements, good dietary sources of folate include leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and turnip greens, fruits, dried beans and peas." [and orange juice!]

From MSNBC:

"The study, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on data from thousands of nurses whose health histories were tracked for years.

Among 93,803 women aged 27 to 44, those who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms a day of total folate -- in foods and supplements -- had a 46 percent decreased risk of hypertension compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day, the study found."

The New York State Department of Health has a good list of foods with high levels of folic acid.