What Are the Benefits of B12 & Post Stroke Recovery?

Vitamin therapy plays a role in stroke prevention and possibly in recovery, specifically the vitamin B12.

Homocysteine

• Homocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood stream. The American Heart Association states that an excessive amount of homocysteine has been shown to lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

B12

• A 2009 study from the University of Toronto's Department of Neurology found that vitamin therapy (2.5 mg of folic acid, 50 mg of B6, and 1 mg of B12) did reduce the risk of nonfatal stroke in approximately 5,000 participants. However, the same study showed that in participants that did have a stroke, the vitamin therapy did not lower the severity of stroke or any stroke-related disability.

Recovery

• In an article published by the Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society, a 2006 study concluded that increasing levels of B12 following a stroke would be appropriate, though there was no conclusive evidence that an increase in the vitamin following a stroke would aid in recovery, specifically in lowering homocysteine levels and decreasing the risk of dementia.

B12 Sources

• The Vegetarian Society states that the only natural, unfortified sources of B12 are eggs, dairy products and meat.

Warning

• The Vegetarian Society states that B12 has very low levels of toxicity, and a high intake of the vitamin is not considered dangerous.