Researchers said several prior studies had shown a link between higher folate (a B-vitamin) levels and lower chances of pancreatic cancer. Folate is the form that folic acid takes inside the body. In one study, doctors measured the diets of 57,187 women, aged 55 to 74, who were free of pancreatic cancer at the start of the study. Over 6.5 years of follow-up, women who consumed more than 253 mcg of folic acid per day were half as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as women who got less than 179 mcg per day.
Scientists believe that cancer chances increase when DNA malfunctions and that folate plays a key role in keeping DNA healthy. DNA stores genetic information and the instructions the body needs to build healthy cells. A good multi-vitamin typically contains 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid.