Previous Story B-Vitamin What if you could cut your risk of having a heart attack almost in half, without boosting your exercise? That's the claim being made today in a study that tells women to boost their B-vitamins instead. The study involved mega-doses of two B-vitamins, dosages three times higher than the current guidelines. For women worried about heart disease, the findings suggest a heart-healthy strategy that is incredibly simple. Elizabeth Strong/takes vitamins - "I have a strong family history of heart disease, so I've always taken vitamins." Elizabeth Strong already takes supplements. But the findings of a new study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association have convinced her to boost her B-vitamins. You could call them the super-Bs. Folate and vitamin B-6 combined, that may help women to fend-off a heart attack. Dr. Robert Levin/Beaumont Cardiologist - "The numbers are pretty dramatic. The research shows women can lower their risk by 47-to-50 percent just by increasing their intake of these B-vitamins." Foods rich in Folate, or Folic acid, include orange juice, lettuce, eggs, broccoli and spinach. The main food sources rich in naturally-occurring vitamin B-6 include potatoes, bananas, chicken, milk and tuna fish. The women in the Harvard study relied primarily on fortified cereals and vitamin supplements. Elizabeth Strong - "It's pretty cool that you can do something as simple as taking a vitamin and lower your risk that much. It's that easy." Dr. Levin - "Of course we cardiologists would rather see patients rely on dietary changes to obtain these nutrients. Not only do they get the benefits of extra B-vitamins, but they would get all the other protective effects of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables." The research focused only on women.. although a different preliminary study suggests men may also benefit from consuming higher levels of folate and vitamin B-six. It's expected the recommended daily intake for folate will be increased to four-hundred micrograms in the next few months. Home | Upcoming Stories | Previous Stories |Survey | About Healthy Living | E-Mail