21 May 2009
Increased intake of vitamin B6 from diet and supplements may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by over 50%.
Almost 15,000 people took part in the study, which reported that increased blood levels of the vitamin’s active form, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), were significantly associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (1). Vitamin B6 levels were positively correlated with blood levels of vitamin B9 (folate) and vitamin B12. Higher PLP levels were also slightly correlated with lower blood levels of homocysteine.
There are 363,000 new cases of colorectal cancer every year in Europe, with an estimated 945,000 globally. There are about 492,000 deaths from the cancer each year. Only about 5% of colorectal adenomas are thought to become malignant, and this process could take between five and ten years.
The study follows similar findings published in 2008, suggesting that increased intakes of vitamin B6 from dietary and supplements may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by over 20% (2).
22 January 2014
A new international study reports that a moderate fish intake during pregnancy seems to be associated with a lower risk of preterm birth and a small increase in birth weight.
2 February 2010
Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids-rich fish oil may reduce the likelihood of developing psychotic disorders in high-risk people, says a new clinical trial.
20 September 2010
Intake of supplements containing vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc may increase the risk of developing melanomas in women, a French follow-up study claims.
