B Vitamins Study Debunked
A newly released observational study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology needs to be interpreted with caution. The study “Long-term Supplemental One-carbon Metabolism Related Vitamin B Use in Relation to Lung Cancer Risk in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort made sensational headlines this past week. The conclusion was that vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 as individual supplements caused an increase 30-40% increase in lung cancer risk in men who were smokers.
It is indeed tempting to believe headline news and disallow the importance of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in health, but there are limitations with this type of study. Researchers asked 77,000 study participants ages 50-70 to recall information from the previous ten years. This brings about the limitation of memory and accurately reporting what they had consumed over a ten-year period prior to the start of the study. Many individuals struggle with remembering what they consumed yesterday or last week.
Observational studies like this one neither proves causation. Erroneous conclusions can occur. It is almost like saying that a tree planted in green grass causes the tree to have green leaves.
Numerous studies back up the essential need for B vitamins for daily physiological needs. In fact, a few years prior, a major study in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that vitamin B6 reduced the risk for lung cancer, in smokers and former smokers.
B vitamins are essential to life. Vitamin B deficiencies are great concerns with many individuals as B vitamins are needed by every cell in the body. B vitamins work best with they are grouped together in a B complex. If one does take one of the B vitamins separately, like vitamin B6 or B12, it is essential to take a multiple vitamin with a full B complex or to take a complete B complex. B vitamins work together. They are team players. Taking one B vitamin like only vitamin B6 will deplete the other B vitamins and stress the body. This raises the question, was the lung cancer risk increased because the other B vitamins were deficient?
Other questions are raised as a result. For example, what is the participants methylation status, since vitamin B6 and B12 are involved with how our body repairs. Methylation requires numerous other nutrients. Other clinical concerns pertain to factors like the participants’ gut health and absorption as B vitamins are made in the intestinal tract, medication depletion of B vitamins, and certainly the forms of B vitamins. Some individuals are not able to metabolize certain forms of B vitamins well like vitamin B6 as pyridoxine HCl as this may impair healthy metabolism and create more oxidative stress on the body. Always supplementing with the coenzyme, bioavailable forms of B vitamins is helpful.
Headlines like this should make the consumer cautious with interpretation. This study was done on smokers. We know that cigarette smoking causes cancer. Concluding that vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 intake was the single cause for the increased risk of lung cancer in smokers should propel one towards critical thinking.
A diet rich in variety and quality of proteins, legumes, grains, vegetables and fruits provides natural B vitamins. If you have a specific need for higher amounts of one or two individual B vitamins, make sure you take a B complex or a multiple vitamin with it. B vitamins are essential for energy production, homocysteine clearance, nerve health, stress tolerance, mood, thyroid health, and more. Dietary supplements are not meant to replace a healthy diet, but supplementation is essential for many.
It is indeed tempting to believe headline news and disallow the importance of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in health, but there are limitations with this type of study. Researchers asked 77,000 study participants ages 50-70 to recall information from the previous ten years. This brings about the limitation of memory and accurately reporting what they had consumed over a ten-year period prior to the start of the study. Many individuals struggle with remembering what they consumed yesterday or last week.
Observational studies like this one neither proves causation. Erroneous conclusions can occur. It is almost like saying that a tree planted in green grass causes the tree to have green leaves.
Numerous studies back up the essential need for B vitamins for daily physiological needs. In fact, a few years prior, a major study in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that vitamin B6 reduced the risk for lung cancer, in smokers and former smokers.
B vitamins are essential to life. Vitamin B deficiencies are great concerns with many individuals as B vitamins are needed by every cell in the body. B vitamins work best with they are grouped together in a B complex. If one does take one of the B vitamins separately, like vitamin B6 or B12, it is essential to take a multiple vitamin with a full B complex or to take a complete B complex. B vitamins work together. They are team players. Taking one B vitamin like only vitamin B6 will deplete the other B vitamins and stress the body. This raises the question, was the lung cancer risk increased because the other B vitamins were deficient?
Other questions are raised as a result. For example, what is the participants methylation status, since vitamin B6 and B12 are involved with how our body repairs. Methylation requires numerous other nutrients. Other clinical concerns pertain to factors like the participants’ gut health and absorption as B vitamins are made in the intestinal tract, medication depletion of B vitamins, and certainly the forms of B vitamins. Some individuals are not able to metabolize certain forms of B vitamins well like vitamin B6 as pyridoxine HCl as this may impair healthy metabolism and create more oxidative stress on the body. Always supplementing with the coenzyme, bioavailable forms of B vitamins is helpful.
Headlines like this should make the consumer cautious with interpretation. This study was done on smokers. We know that cigarette smoking causes cancer. Concluding that vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 intake was the single cause for the increased risk of lung cancer in smokers should propel one towards critical thinking.
A diet rich in variety and quality of proteins, legumes, grains, vegetables and fruits provides natural B vitamins. If you have a specific need for higher amounts of one or two individual B vitamins, make sure you take a B complex or a multiple vitamin with it. B vitamins are essential for energy production, homocysteine clearance, nerve health, stress tolerance, mood, thyroid health, and more. Dietary supplements are not meant to replace a healthy diet, but supplementation is essential for many.
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