Do B vitamins (folate, B6) benefit your heart and brain?
Folic acid reduces stroke risk by approximately 16%, but probably only if you have a deficiency. For broader cardiovascular risk and for the brain, the evidence is too thin to recommend supplementation widely.
Folic acid reduces the risk of stroke by approximately 16%. This is shown by research involving nearly 884,000 people1,2. The effect is modest but reliably demonstrated. It applies specifically to stroke, not to cardiovascular disease in general.
For heart attacks or death from cardiovascular disease, B vitamin supplements show no demonstrable benefit2. The advantage of folic acid is therefore narrow: there is evidence only for stroke, and not beyond that.
An important caveat: this benefit probably applies only if you have a deficiency. If you are already getting enough folic acid through your diet, you will likely gain nothing from extra pills2. Taking supplements indiscriminately offers no proven benefit for the average well-nourished Western adult.
There is also a safety signal. Large amounts of B vitamins, such as those found in some energy drinks combined with caffeine, have been linked to heart rhythm disturbances and elevated blood pressure3. Whether the B vitamins themselves are the culprit or whether it is the combination with other substances has not been proven. However, the signals call for caution.
Regarding brain health and B vitamins around the time of menopause, guidelines do mention them as protective nutrients4. However, hard figures on the effect of B vitamins individually are still lacking in that context. No quantitative statements can be made on those points.
Based on a large meta-analysis of controlled studies involving nearly 884,000 participants, supplemented by a comprehensive systematic review and two smaller observational or guideline studies. The stroke claim has the strongest supporting evidence. The remaining statements rest on more limited or more indirect sources.