Increased levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, deep vein thrombosis and stroke. Folic acid helps the body to reduce homocysteine levels. In the British Medical Journal (November, 2002, volume 325, pp 1202-06), over 100 studies on the association between homocysteinelevels and cardiovascular disease were analyzed. The study came to the conclusion that high homocysteine levels can cause heart disease. Folic acid (and vitamins B6 and B12, for that matter) helps to reduce homocysteine levels. The researchers estimate that increasing folic acid consumption could reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease by 16%, deep vein thrombosis by 25%, and stroke by 24%.