New Study: These Vitamins May Lower Your Stroke Risk

As humans, we rely on six categories of nutrients to support basic health–often referred to as “essential” nutrients. The reason they’re essential is because the body cannot produce enough of them on its own, so it’s necessary to obtain them through your diet. The six essential nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats (the macronutrients), vitamins, minerals (the micronutrients) and water.

While carbs, protein, fat and water usually make their way into our diets without much thought, micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—are easy to overlook. But they play a critical role behind the scenes in our bodies, supporting everything from gene expression to enzyme function and protecting the body against oxidative stress.

And that matters more than you might think. Oxidative stress can damage cells and contribute to chronic inflammation, a key driver of conditions like stroke—the third leading cause of death worldwide. Because treatment options for stroke are time-sensitive and often pricey, prevention remains the top strategy to reduce risk.

Stroke prevention includes various healthy lifestyle habits like managing blood pressure, exercising regularly and following a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients. While overall dietary patterns matter, researchers are increasingly interested in how individual nutrients—including those oft-forgotten micronutrients—may contribute to risk reduction.

In fact, a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that B vitamins—specifically B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin)—may play an important role in reducing stroke risk.

How Was the Study Conducted?

Researchers set out to investigate how long-term intake of B vitamins (as well as levels circulating in the body) may be linked to stroke risk. To do this, they analyzed data from two large U.S.-based population cohorts, allowing them to look at both dietary patterns and biological markers.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-running national health study focused on strategies to support women’s health and aging. With more than 160,000 women in postmenopause enrolled, it is the largest women’s health prevention study ever conducted.

For this analysis, researchers used food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from roughly 120,000 participants enrolled in the WHI to estimate long-term intake of B vitamins from diet and supplements.

The All of Us Research Program (AoU), led by the National Institutes of Health, is a large, ongoing effort to build a diverse health database to inform future research. The program includes more than 600,000 adults across the U.S.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 100,000 participants included in the AoU who had at least one documented B vitamin blood test, allowing them to assess circulating levels.

What Did the Study Find?

By combining these two large, high-quality datasets, researchers were able to compare how both reported intake and measured levels of B vitamins relate to stroke risk over time. Overall, they found that higher intakes of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) were associated with lower risk of stroke—offering some of the strongest evidence to date for these specific nutrients.

Close runners-up, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin B9 (folate), were also linked to lower stroke risk, though the associations were less consistent. This aligns with previous research, particularly for folate, which has long been studied for its potentially beneficial role in heart health.

Researchers also noted that participants with the highest B-vitamin intakes were more likely to use supplements and engage in other health-promoting behaviors, including higher diet quality and more health care engagement. But even after adjusting for these “healthy-user” factors, the associations between higher B-vitamin intake and lower stroke risk still remained.

Importantly, the findings were supported not only by dietary data from the WHI participants but also by circulating levels measured in the blood from the AoU cohort. This combination strengthens the case that these nutrients may play a meaningful role in stroke prevention.

Still, the study has its limitations. This was an observational study, which means the researchers can only note strong links between B vitamins and lower stroke risk, but they cannot prove that B vitamin consumption lowers the risk of stroke. The researchers recommend that further intervention-based studies be performed to help understand the connection.

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

There are eight essential B vitamins—B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin)—and each plays a unique role in supporting overall health. While this study highlights thiamin, riboflavin and niacin in relation to stroke risk, all of the B vitamins work together to support processes like energy metabolism, cell function and heart health.

The good news is you don’t have to overcomplicate it. These nutrients are widely available in everyday foods, especially those that are already part of a balanced diet.

If you’re looking to reduce your risk of stroke and boost your intake of thiamin, riboflavin and niacin specifically, consider including more of these foods:

• Thiamin can be found in whole grains like brown rice, pork, poultry, soybeans, nuts, peas, dried beans and fortified grain products such as bread and cereals.
• Riboflavin is available in eggs, dairy products like milk and yogurt, as well as fortified grains.
• Niacin is found in poultry, fish, peanuts, legumes, whole grains and seeds.

Rather than zeroing in on one single nutrient or B vitamin, this study reinforces the larger point that dietary patterns matter. Incorporating foods like whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, nuts and dairy supports a heart-healthy diet and can naturally provide the B vitamins your body needs.

While supplements can be helpful in certain cases, they aren’t always necessary for people who are eating a balanced diet. If you’re considering a B-complex or multivitamin, it’s a good idea to check with a healthcare provider to determine what’s appropriate for your individual needs.

Our Expert Take

Recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology analyzed data from two large cohorts of U.S. adults and found that higher intakes—and circulating levels—of several B vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, were associated with lower stroke risk. These findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that B vitamins may play an important role in stroke prevention.

These findings reinforce the importance of consistently eating a balanced diet rich in foods that naturally provide B vitamins like whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, nuts and dairy. These small, consistent dietary choices over time can add up to meaningful benefits for overall health, including reducing the risk of stroke.