High vitamin B levels in blood reduce lung cancer risk: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJun 15 2010

Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

Regular intake of Vitamin B complex can reduce the risk of getting lung cancer, researchers have found. The research paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association however emphasized that quitting smoking was the best method to reduce the risk of lung cancer. It is too early to say that vitamin supplements can actually prevent lung cancer say researchers. Lung cancer kills nearly 1.3 million people globally each year according to the World Health Organization and 10 to 15 percent of smokers develop lung cancer.

A study in 40,000 people from 10 European countries over eight years showed that high levels of Vitamin B6 and amino acid Methionine can reduce the risk of lung cancer by half. The study included smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. The blood levels of these vitamins in those without cancer remained high. 899 of the study population developed lung cancer. Of these 408 people had low blood levels of these vitamins and 129 had normal or high levels of these vitamins. These vitamins can be easily consumed in fish, meat, nuts, vegetables, bananas or taken as supplements. The study authors say that this risk reduction may also be a picture of better lifestyle and not smoking rather than just supplementation of the vitamins.

Dr Paul Brennan, lead researcher of the study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer feels once the association between the two is confirmed the study will move towards identifying the optimum vitamin B levels in blood. Brennan said his findings appeared to reinforce previous research which showed that deficiencies in B vitamins may increase the probability of DNA damage and subsequent gene mutations. He explained, “Basically, these B vitamins and nutrients are all involved in the pathway which is responsible for the creation and maintenance of DNA…So obviously you would want that pathway to work as well as possible.” An earlier study among Swedish women showed that high level of vitamin B6 in blood is linked to low risk of colorectal cancer.

World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) was involved in the research and they also feel an in-depth look into the association between blood vitamin B levels and cancer risk is warranted. Dr Panagiota Mitrou, of the WCRF, said, “These findings are really exciting as they are important for understanding the process of lung cancer and could have implications for prevention…But while this is an important study, it is vital that we get the message across to smokers that increasing intake of B-vitamins is not - and never will be - a substitute for stopping smoking.” Dr Joanna Owens, of Cancer Research UK also said, “Although this study suggests a link between vitamin B levels in the blood and reduced risk of lung cancer, this doesn't prove that vitamin B can directly protect against the disease...Vitamin B levels might be higher in people who eat a healthy diet, and this in itself can help reduce the risk of cancer.” “The most important way to prevent lung cancer is to stop smoking. No amount of vitamins can counteract the risks posed by smoking,” she concluded.