Washington, Nov 05: Folic acid and vitamins B6 and
B12 play no significant role in preventing cancer in women at
high risk for cardiovascular disease, said a study published in
the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study contradicts a prevalent belief in the medical
community about cancer prevention through intake of folic acid
and vitamins B6 and B12.
Since 1998, many food items in the United States have
been enriched with synthetic folic acid chiefly to reduce the
risk of neural tube birth defects.
Around one third of the United States` adult population
currently take multivitamin complexes that include folic acid
and vitamins B6 and B12, the study said yesterday.
However, there are few clinical test results linking
folic acid alone or in combination with vitamin B to the risk
of cancer. Furthermore, the test results are not coherent and
one of them even showed harmful effects, the researchers said.
"Combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12
treatment had no significant effect on overall risk of total
invasive cancer or breast cancer among women during the folic
acid fortification era," the study said.
The latest study was carried out among 5,442 female
health professionals aged 42 years or older at high risk of
cardiovascular disease.
Half the participants were randomly assigned to receive
a daily combination of folic acid (2.5 milligrams), vitamin B6
(50 mg) and vitamin B12 (1.0 mg), while the rest were
administered a placebo.
The clinical trial lasted from April 1998 to July 2005.
Bureau Report
