B Vitamins May Reduce Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Involving a total of 88,045 postmenopausal women who were recruited between 1993 and 1998; The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study covers the time period in which the United States introduced mandatory fortification of grain products with folic acid (a bioavailable form of folate).  Stefanie Zschabitz, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Washington, USA), and colleagues analyzed the diagnosis of 1,003 incident colorectal cancer cases in the study group that were ascertained as of 2009. The researchers observed that women with the highest average intakes of riboflavin (vitamin B2, over 3.97 mg per day) were at a 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer (as compared to women with the lowers average intakes at less than 1.8 mg).  Additionally, the highest intakes of pyridoxine (Vitamin B6, over 3.88 mg per day) were found to lower the risk by 20%  (as compared to women with the lowers average intakes at less than 1.52 mg).  The study authors conclude that: “Vitamin B-6 and riboflavin intakes from diet and supplements were associated with a decreased risk of [colorectal cancer] in postmenopausal women.”