Scientists at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a study in the Journal of American Medical Association documenting a correlation between elevated blood levels of vitamin B6 and methionine, an amino acid, and a reduced risk of lung cancer in smokers, former smokers and never-smokers.
The prospective case-controlled study compared the blood levels of several vitamins and some proteins in about 900 lung cancer patients — mostly smokers, but also 100 never-smokers and 260 who quit. They found that the reduction in the risk of lung cancer was approximately 60 percent for those with higher levels of either or both vitamin B6 and methionine in all three groups.
Dr. Whelan has a word of caution for smokers tempted to run to the supermarket and load up on foods rich in B6 or methionine, or worse, supplements of these products. “Smokers should be aware of the deadly maladies they face, which go way beyond lung cancer. Don’t mislead yourself into thinking that you’re protecting yourself from cigarette-related disease by ingesting higher levels of B vitamins.” She also reminds us that “lung cancer is not the leading cause of death among smokers — it’s actually coronary heart disease.”
Adds Dr. Ross, “Further, this is but one study, although a large one. Prior studies of vitamin levels and cancer have not yielded similar results, so this must be repeated, preferably with a randomized prospective trial.”
