Lilly The Link Between Vitamin B and Reduced Lung Cancer Risk
High blood levels of vitamin B6, folic acid (vitamin B9), and the amino acid methionine are associated with reduced lung cancer risk. In fact, people with high levels of these three nutrients had a significantly lower risk of lung cancer, whether they had ever smoked or not!
Human respiratory system with lungs
High blood levels of vitamin B6, folic acid (vitamin B9), and methionine are associated with a lower risk of lung cancer
Both B vitamins and methionine help to maintain the integrity of the all-important DNA in our body’s cells. This may be how they affect lung cancer risk.
For this study, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) recruited over 500,000 participants from 10 countries and measured their blood levels for four B vitamins – B2, B6, B9, and B12 – as well as for methionine and homocysteine.
Within the entire EPIC cohort, people with higher blood levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B9, and methionine showed an incredible 50% lower risk for lung cancer – and these results were seen in people who had never smoked, were former smokers, as well as in current smokers.
The Impact of Vitamin D on Colorectal and Breast Cancer
Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that low or insufficient blood levels of vitamin D can increase the risk of getting several cancers; presumably, raising blood levels would reverse this effect.
To examine this possibility, a systematic review carried out in 2009 identified 35 observational studies that looked at blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D relative to the risk of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, and colonic adenoma.
post-menopausal women
In postmenopausal women with breast cancer, those with higher blood levels of vitamin D survived longer
These study researchers found that the higher the levels of blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the lower the risk of developing colorectal cancer. However, no such association was found for breast and prostate cancer in this review.
On the other hand, it has been shown that in women diagnosed with breast cancer, those who have higher levels of blood 25-hydroxy vitamin D survive longer. While women with lower vitamin D have higher mortality rates.
Indeed, a prospective cohort study in Germany with nearly 1,300 postmenopausal breast cancer patients clearly showed that lower blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D were associated with poorer overall survival and a higher risk of death.
