B Vitamins may cut cancer risk! No comments yet
A new study funded by the World Cancer Research Fund has concluded that high levels of B vitamins in the blood could slash the risk of lung cancer. People with above average levels of vitamin B6 and the related nutrient methionine are half as likely to develop the disease. The study was carried out by a team of researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Lead researcher, Dr Paul Brennan, pointed out: “More research is needed to confirm that B vitamins actually reduce the risk of lung cancer. However, these results are significant because the reduction in risk was consistent among current smokers, former smokers and people who had never smoked”, whilst Dr Panagiota Mitrou, Science Programme Manager at the World Cancer Research Fund, described the results as exciting. He added: “But while this is an important study, it is vital that we get the message across to smokers that increasing B vitamins is not – and never will be – a substitute for stopping smoking. However, we should also recognise that a significant number of lung cancer cases occur among people who have never smoked or who have stopped smoking.”
Here at Bio Nutrition we’ve always recommended everyone takes a good multi vitamin and mineral, which include B vitamins, but if you need an extra boost a separate B Complex can always be added safely!
Sources:
Health Food Business: August 2010, Volume 23, Issue 10, Page 8.