Men with higher blood levels of vitamin B6 were less likely to have colon cancer than were men with lower blood levels of vitamin B6.
Researchers in a colorectal cancer study measured blood levels of the active form of vitamin B6 in nearly 15,000 men and followed them for 17 years. Doctors matched the 197 men who got colorectal cancer during this time to 371 healthy men of similar age and smoking habits. Compared to men with colorectal cancer, the healthy men had higher levels of vitamins B6, B12 and folate, and ate more cold cereal. The healthy men also had better body mass measurements and fewer signs of inflammation, including homocysteine and C-reactive protein, which doctors said increase chances of heart disease.
Overall, compared to men with the lowest vitamin B6 levels, men with the highest vitamin B6 levels were more than twice as likely to be colorectal cancer free.