| By now, everybody knows about the dangers of | | | | |
| cholesterol, smoking, and a high-fat diet. | | | | But if you know the truth about the benefits |
| Not everybody knows about the potential of | | | | of vitamin B-6 and heart health, you can |
| vitamin B-6. | | | | protect your heart for just pennies a day. |
| | | | And you will also get protection for your |
| Vitamin B6 benefits are vital in your daily | | | | brain. |
| supplementation routine because it fights | | | | |
| another culprit in cardiovascular illness, | | | | When homocysteine levels are high, your body |
| namely homocysteine. Time and time for over | | | | can't make SAM-e. This is the same SAM-e you |
| 10 years scientists have shown that even | | | | see in supplement outlets for everything from |
| mildly elevated levels of homocysteine in the | | | | depression to fibromyalgia. When you take |
| bloodstream raise the risk of heart disease. | | | | vitamin B-6, your body can convert excess |
| | | | homocysteine into this mood-lifting, |
| Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino | | | | brain-protective compound. |
| acid. By itself, it's not bad. It's even part | | | | |
| of the process the body uses to make its own | | | | Preventing vitamin B-6 deficiency may help |
| SAM-e. But when there's not enough vitamin | | | | protect you against Alzheimer's disease, |
| B-6, B12, and folic acid, homocysteine builds | | | | depression, memory loss, and even |
| up in the blood and causes arterial damage. | | | | fibromyalgia and insomnia. |
| | | | |
| High homocysteine levels may be even more | | | | How Much Vitamin B-6 Should You Take? |
| damaging than high cholesterol levels, but | | | | |
| the benefits of vitamin B-6 include | | | | In the USA, the recommended daily allowance |
| protecting your heart. | | | | (RDA) of vitamin B-6 is 2 mg. Researchers at |
| | | | Harvard University studied a group of 80,000 |
| A clinical study in Poland found taking just | | | | nurses and found that the amount of vitamin |
| 300 mg of vitamin B-6 every day for two | | | | B-6 needed for heart protection is more than |
| months (along with adequate amounts of | | | | twice that amount, at least 4.6 mg a day. You |
| vitamin B12, that is, 1000 micrograms weekly, | | | | can round that number up to 5 mg a day for |
| and folic acid, 5 mg daily) cut homocysteine | | | | ease in checking labels. |
| levels in half. | | | | |
| | | | What's the Safety of Vitamin B-6? Is There a |
| And this B-vitamin combo also reduced levels | | | | Risk of a B-6 Overdose? Is There Any Toxicity |
| of thrombin, the clotting agent that sets the | | | | of Vitamin B-6? |
| stage for a heart attack or stroke. | | | | |
| | | | Well, yes. A few women have taken 500 to |
| Protecting your heart against the perils of | | | | 5,000 times the recommended daily dosage of |
| homocysteine is simple, but most people don't | | | | vitamin B-6 for 2 months to 4 years to |
| do it. A researcher at Emory University, | | | | prevent PMS and suffered permanent nerve |
| Atlanta, GA, Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., MD, | | | | damage. The amount of vitamin B-6 they took |
| MSPM, says "approximately 70% of the adult | | | | is equivalent to taking a handful of pure B-6 |
| population in the United States is exposed to | | | | every day for several years at a cost of over |
| a risk factor for cardiovascular disease-an | | | | $10 a day. You will never experience this |
| elevated plasma homocysteine | | | | problem if you take a balanced daily |
| concentration-that can be easily avoided | | | | supplement in the dosage recommended by the |
| simply by consuming a B vitamin supplement." | | | | manufacturer. |