The importance of vitamin B6 and lung cancer prevention

A new study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) revealed that vitamin B6 linked to lower lung cancer risks. The Journal of the American Medical Association published results of this study on Tuesday and said that people with higher levels of vitamin B6 and an amino acid, methionine, in their blood reduce their lung cancer risk by almost 60%. This could be a clue in the paradox that has puzzled scientists for so long; why do some smokers get lung cancer and others don’t

What the study doesn’t indicate is the amount of B6 and methionine required for optimal lung cancer prevention. The current RDA allowance for men and woman ages 19-50 is 1.3 micrograms (mg) over 50 the amount is raised to 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for woman. Best selling author Andrew Weil M.D. A.B suggests that 4 mg of vitamin B6 “may help protect against lung cancer by supporting immune function”

The study consisted of 400,000 people that were either smokers, non-smokers or people that had previously smoked. The results indicated that the change in risk was the same for all the groups, concluding that diet is an essential factor in lung cancer development.

Vitamin B6 is water soluble, so it needs to be replenished daily. Many doctors warn against taking too many vitamin supplements until more testing has been done. Increasing foods rich in B6 like potatoes, bananas, garbanzo beans, chicken breasts, oatmeal, pork loin and fortified breakfast cereals is a safe way to gain the dietary benefits of this study.