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A prospective study in a recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that the risk of colorectal cancer can be slashed by more than 50 percent with the use of increased amounts of dietary and supplemental Vitamin B6.
The study, led by researchers from Harvard, looked at the blood levels of pyridoxal-5'phosphate (PLP), the active metabolite of Vitamin B6, among some 15,000 men and compared those to the incidence of colorectal cancer. The research team reported that PLP levels were inversely linked with colorectal cancer risk, anywhere from 8 to 51 percent depending on the PLP level.
The presence of the Vitamin B6 metabolite was also positively associated with increased folate and Vitamin B12 and inversely correlated with homocysteine (an amino acid that is a potential indicator of heart disease) along with three markers for inflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 2 and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
The Harvard study echoes results published last year by a University of Edinburgh research team, which found that increased intakes of Vitamin B6 from dietary and supplement sources may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by more than 20 percent.
In Canada, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that there will be 22,000 new cases in 2009.
Source:
J.E. Lee, H. Li, E. Giovannucci, I.-M. Lee, J. Selhub, M. Stampfer, J. Ma,
“Prospective Study of Plasma Vitamin B6 and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Men,” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
2009, Volume 18, Pages 1197-1202.
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