By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, May 6, 2009, abstracted from “Prospective Study of Plasma Vitamin B6 and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Men” in the May 2009 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer (behind lung cancer) in the United States, claiming more than 55,000 Americans each year. It poses a risk for an estimated 1 in 4 Americans (80 to 90 million) because of age or other factors and, contrary to what most people believe, both men and women are equally affected (1).

Fortunately, calcium (2), conjugated linoleic acid (3), vitamin B6 (4), green tea (5), fiber (6), olive oil (7), apples (8), and omega-3 fats (9) have been shown to benefit colon health. Now a new study (10) has found that vitamin B6, known to help with mental health (11) and pregnancy health (12) may also help colorectal health.

In the study, researchers identified 197 cases of colorectal cancer in patients age 40 to 84 from the Physician’s Health Study (13) and compared them to 317 healthy controls. Looking at blood samples provided by the patients, researchers found a “significant inverse association” between blood levels of vitamin B6 and colorectal cancer independent of other factors, including smoking status and levels of inflammatory proteins. Specifically, those with the highest B6 blood levels (144 picomoles/milliliter) had a 51% reduced colorectal cancer risk, compared to those with the lowest B6 levels (43 pmoles/mL).

For the researchers, “vitamin B6 may protect against colorectal cancer independent of other one-carbon metabolites and inflammatory biomarkers.” The current reference daily intake for vitamin B6 is 1.4 mg per day for men and 1.2 mg per day for women (14).

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1. “Colorectal Cancer Fact Sheet” posted on the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition Website www.fdhn.org/html/education/colorectal/facts.html
2. Meunier, P. J. (1999). "Calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K in the prevention of fractures due to osteoporosis." Osteoporos Int 9 Suppl 2: S48-52
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7. Gill, C. I., A. Boyd, et al. (2005). "Potential anti-cancer effects of virgin olive oil phenols on colorectal carcinogenesis models in vitro." Int J Cancer 117(1): 1-7
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10. Lee JE. Prospective Study of Plasma Vitamin B6 and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009 18: 1197-1202 Published Online First March 31, 2009. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-1001
11. Improvement of neurobehavioral disorders in children supplemented with magnesium-vitamin B6. I. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Magnes Res 2006 Mar;19(1):46-52
12. Jamigorn M. Acupressure and vitamin B6 to relieve nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a randomized study. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2007 Sep;276(3):245-9. Epub 2007 Feb 21
13. Steering Committee of the Physicians' Health Study Research Group. Final report on the aspirin component of the ongoing Physicians' Health Study. N Engl J Med 1989;321:129–35
14. Department of Health. Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients for the United Kingdom. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office; 1991