Vitamin B6 Reduces the Risk of Colon Cancer

Vitamin B6 is involved in some of the most important processes in your body, including protein metabolism, hormone function, red blood cell formation, and the operation of your immune and nervous systems.

And according to a new study from Harvard Medical School, high levels of B6 provide protection from the third most common cancer in the U.S. - colon cancer.

Researchers evaluated 33,000 women as part of a long-running study. First, they examined their blood samples, recording levels of the active form of B6.
Then, they examined their medical records, finding 194 cases of colorectal cancer and 410 cases of colon polyps, a precursor.

When they divided the women into four groups according to circulating levels of Vitamin B6, they found that those in the highest quartile had a 58% lower risk of colon cancer. The same association was true for colon polyps.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that 100 mg is the safe upper threshold for a daily intake of Vitamin B6. You can get this in supplement form, but your best bet is to get it from your diet, where the B6 is part of a whole complex of other vitamins.

Food sources of B6 include bananas, beans, bell peppers, spinach, poultry, and grass-fed beef.