Can taking vitamins help prevent heart disease or a heart attack?

Researchers aren't sure whether taking vitamins can reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.

Certain vitamins, such as vitamins C and E, may reduce your heart disease risk by preventing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol from producing plaques that can narrow your heart's arteries. Some research studies on these vitamins have shown that taking vitamins can reduce your heart disease risk, but most haven't shown a difference in heart disease risk between people who take vitamins and those who don't.

Another vitamin that might improve your heart health is Vitamin D. There's some evidence that Vitamin D improves the health of your blood vessels, but nothing conclusive yet.