Many people already take nutritional supplements containing folic acid to help regulate their homocysteine levels.

Now, a new study in Northern Ireland has concluded that taking a multi-vitamin can have several benefits for patients with kidney disease, including lowering homocysteine and increasing folate levels, the BBC reports.

Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that can – in elevated levels – boost the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 have already been linked to improvements in homocysteine levels.

Researchers from the University of Ulster studied the effect of multi-vitamins on kidney patients who undergo daily dialysis – a treatment which removes antioxidants and nutrients from their bodies.

After monitoring their progress for a period of three months, the scientists concluded that subjects’ folate and antioxidant levels had increased, while their homocysteine levels had fallen.

“These improvements in status could be very beneficial for hemodialysis patients who have a very restricted diet due to their kidney disease,” lead researcher Dr Mary Hannon-Fletcher told the news provider.