You may only think of your over-the-counter multivitamin as backup for not getting enough vitamins in your diet. But researchers are finding ways for vitamins to do more.

• B vitamins to manage cardiovascular health: When your body breaks down protein, a by-product is homocysteine. High homocysteine in the blood is linked to heart disease and stroke. A number of factors are thought to influence increased homocysteine, including a lack of certain B vitamins.

• Niacin (vitamin B-3) to improve “good” cholesterol: Taken at prescribed levels, niacin can potentially boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol by 15 percent to 30 percent -- or occasionally up to 50 percent.

• Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) to help prevent migraines: Very preliminary evidence has found that high doses of riboflavin might help prevent migraines for some people.

Taking vitamins as medicine should be done under a doctor’s supervision. The recommended doses can be significantly higher than those in a multivitamin and may cause side effects. 

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