Eat your B6 for total health plus avoid cancer

(Paul Cowan)

B6 is often called 'mighty' because of all the benefits associated with it including healthy hair, skin, blood flow, mind and immune system. And, it just got mightier as researchers have found B6 can decrease lung cancer risk.

The authors published their findings in the June 16 online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The multi-year collaborative research initiative The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) began in 1992 and recruited 519,978 participants from ten European countries.

After analysis of the data the researchers concluded, "Serum levels of vitamin B6 and methionine [an ?-amino acid] were inversely associated with risk."

To make sure your diet is rich with B6 make sure to incorporate plenty of bioavailable B6 foods, this generally means animal protein foods (turkey, beef, halibut). For example, tuna is 100 percent B6 bioavailable where plant-based foods (like chestnuts, chickpeas, brown rice, potatoes) are only 20-40 percent.

If you are concerned about mercury levels in B6-rich fish opt for products that note artisanal fishery practices and try to eat light tuna instead of white.

Full study, "Serum B Vitamin Levels and Risk of Lung Cancer": http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/303/23/2377