Vitamin B6 and Colorectal Cancer?
For women who are concerned about their familial risk of colorectal cancer, taking a daily supplement of Vitamin B6 may be helpful.
Studies suggest that 40% of women and 20% of men don’t obtain enough vitamin B6 in their diets.
A sentinel study published by Wei et al, 2005 suggests that vitamin b6 intake may be inversely associated with the risk of developing colorectal cancer in women.
Study Conclusions:
“CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vitamin B6 may be inversely associated with risk of colorectal neoplasia” ( Wei et al, 2005).
However, newer research suggests that the importance of adequate vitamin B6 intake in reducing your risk of developing colorectal cancer isn’t limited to women alone. A newer study published in the Journal of American Medicine found a dose-response relationship between vitamin B6 levels and colorectal cancer risk in both men and women (Larsson et al 2010).
Study Conclusions:
“The findings from this meta-analysis of prospective studies indicate that increased blood PLP levels are associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Overall, the risk of colorectal cancer decreased by 49% for every 100-pmol/mL increase in blood PLP level, corresponding to approximately 2 SDs in the majority of the studied population.”
* Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP), the principal active coenzyme form of vitamin B6
References:
- Wei EK, Giovannucci E, Selhub J, Fuchs CS, Hankinson SE, Ma J. Plasma vitamin B6 and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 May 4;97(9):684-92.
- Larsson SC, Orsini N, Wolk A. Vitamin B6 and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. JAMA. 2010 Mar 17;303(11):1077-83.