New study shows 56% lower lung cancer risk among those with high levels of Vitamin B6

Vitamin deficiencies are highly common among current smokers, former smokers and COPD patients. The primary mechanism depressing levels of essential vitamins is exposure to cigarette smoke and the inflammation it causes throughout the human body.

Researchers continue to examine a range of vitamins and other naturally occurring food based nutrients (primarily antioxidants) to judge the impact of deficiencies in COPD patient and smoker outcomes. While very few studies have pointed to optimum dosages for most of these nutrients, researchers continue to look at these nutrients as potential solutions to help moderate the effects of cigarette smoke, airway inflammation and lung disease.

We’ve recently written about 2 such ingredients (folate and Vitamin E). Click here for our posting on folate and click here for our posting on Vitamin E.

Now you can add Vitamin B6 to the list. The Journal of the American Medical Association just published the results of a retrospective study to evaluate the connection between B Vitamin deficiency and lung cancer. They discovered that study participants with the highest levels of B6 in their blood serum had a 56% lower risk of developing lung cancer compared with those with the lowest level of B6 (Johansson, M, et al. Serum B Vitamin Levels and Risk of Lung Cancer. JAMA. 2010; 303 (23):2377-2385).

In explaining their results, the study’s authors indicated their belief that B Vitamin deficiencies increase the possibility of gene damage and mutation which in turn elevates cancer risk.

In the study itself, the research team accessed the medical records of nearly 400,000 people who had agreed to participate in a large, long-term study population known as the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). In particular the study group sought to determine if there were any statistically significant correlations between blood levels of 4 particular B Vitamins (B2, B6, folate, and B12) and lung cancer risk.

As mentioned above, the researchers discovered that of the four B Vitamins, there was a notable reduction in lung cancer incidence among participants who had higher levels of Vitamin B6 in their past blood work across all study participants (meaning both smokers and non-smokers). They also discovered a similar but lesser correlation with folate that appeared only among current smokers and former smokers.

For a detailed description about Vitamin B6, including food sources high in Vitamin B6 content, we recommend visiting the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements web site by clicking here.

For a more detailed description of the JAMA study and its results, please click here.