Vitamin B Deficiency May Promote Colon Cancer
November 25, 2007 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
According to a new study in mice (led by Zhenhua Liu from Tufts University), moderate deficiency of folate, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and B12 together may promote the risk of DNA damage and increase the risk of colorectal cancers.
The researchers, led by Zhenhua Liu from Tufts University, studied the Wnt pathway – a cellular signalling pathway linked to more than 85 per cent of colon cancers – and found that mild depletion of all four B vitamins was needed to promote the risk of tumour formation.
Previously, studies have suggested that folate deficiency alone may promote the risk of colorectal cancer. The new research suggests a more complex interaction.
However, the subject of folate and colorectal cancer is controversial, however, with some studies reporting that the B-vitamin may in fact increase the risk of the disease. On the other hand, other studies have reported protective benefits from folate for colorectal cancer.
The above results, once applicable in humans, the synergistic interactions of this family of B vitamins will be more understood.
According to lead author Zhenhua Liu from Tufts University:
“This emphasizes the concept that diets that are inadequate in multiple 1-carbon micronutrients may have important functional ramifications that do not exist with singlet or doublet states of depletion.
The findings, under conditions of relatively mild dietary deficiency, suggest that whereas mild folate deficiency alone may not be sufficient to observe an effect on Wnt signaling, the concomitant deficiency of folate and other B-vitamins may produce abnormalities of the type associated with human colorectal cancers.”
Findings are reported in the Journal of Nutrition.
Find more details from NutraIngredients; JN article abstract.
Just when I think I can stop taking pre-natal vitamins, there is another reason not to stop. This, is definitely convincing that B vitamins are essential.
yeah it is Kate. recently I’ve been having problems with my legs- numbness, no strength – i can’t even stand up after periods of inactivity (i.e. sitting too long in front of the PC). I was prescribed with vitamin B-complex (+ other meds). and then I realized that it has been too long since i was on vitamin B (my son will turn 5 soon). the last time i had b vitamins was when i was pregnant and soon after giving birth. after that no more. no vitamins, except for the occasional vitamin C.
i am on so many vitamins now, including calcium+ vitamin D.
so, i really think that we shouldn’t be not on vitamins even after long we gave birth. as we age, we women need more vitamins even if it is just multivitamins, because we cannot get all of those in our diet. i don’t know maybe our old age metabolism is different, or maybe that we cannot all absorb the nutrients from our diet. that, or maybe our diet is different because of other medical conditions, or just trying to lose weight.
so continue popping the B vitamins, there are more reasons to be on it than not.