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B-Vitamins Bring Down
Breast Cancer Risk

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Vitamin B-12, folic acid and Vitamin B-6 supplementation may help reduce chances of developing breast cancer. Vitamin B-12 supplementation appears to have reduced the risk about 54% in pre-menopausal women.

Alcohol is a major risk factor for developing breast cancer. The Harvard Nutrition Group found higher blood levels of folic acid were associated with a whopping, 89% reduction in the risk of breast cancer for women who had one or more drinks a day.

Folic acid reduced the risk of breast cancer in both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women by 35% and 25 %, respectively. Vitamin B-6 reduced the risk by about 25%.

The reduction of homocysteine was not linked to these benefits. Since Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-6, and folate reduce homocysteine levels, some other process must be responsible for this particular finding.

Vitamin B-12 also plays a role in reducing methylmalonic acid, which is elevated during Vitamin B-12 deficiency. It is also being investigated in relation to breast cancer and other health problems.

The risk of breast cancer has been linked to the presence of three genes: the ataxia telangiectasia, BRCA1, and BRCA2 genes.

If a woman has the ataxia telangiectasia gene, she has an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The gene occurs in one to three percent of the population.

Children born with two ataxia telangiectasia genes (one from each parent) develop a number of health problems, including immunodeficiency (IgA and cellular defects), neurological problems, and an increased risk of developing cancer. They are also highly vulnerable to the DNA dam-aging effects of X-rays.

Vitamins play an important role in DNA repair.

Everyone concerned with breast cancer should know about Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-6, and folate.

The coenzyme form of Vitamin B-12, methylcobalamin, works with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to change the toxic amino acid, homocysteine, into the beneficial amino acid, methionine.

Methylcobalamin is the most common form of Vitamin B-12 found in the blood.

Another organic form of Vitamin B-12 (adenosylcobalamin) is found in the mitochondria (the cell's energy factories). It helps eliminate methylmalonic acid within the mitochondria.

Vegetarians, or people who eat very little meat, run the risk of developing Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Many vegetarians also have elevated homocysteine levels.

Coenzyme and stabilized vitamins are more easily and certain to be absorbed. Calcium folinate and folinic acid are examples of stabilized folates.

Dietary folates and folic acid found in most supplements will degrade when exposed to light, air, or stomach acid.

Digestive problems are commonplace and can prevent your body from absorbing vitamins from food.

If you drink alcohol, take certain medications, or have an infection, you may not be able to absorb the necessary amounts of vitamins.

Many women take TOO much pyridoxine, non-coenzyme form of Vitamin B-6.

The average daily intake is 120 mg., and above 200 mg. a day, people run a high risk of developing liver and peripheral nerve damage. These problems can slowly develop even at 120 mg a day, especially in smaller women, who are getting more Vitamin B-6 per pound than larger women.

Liver health also varies among people. Hepatitis and other liver diseases, or taking certain medications may cause problems metabolizing Vitamin B-6.

The coenzyme form of Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxol-5-phosphate) is safer and easier to absorb than pyridoxine.

We know about many risk factors associated with breast cancer, but no one can predict who will develop it.

Even if someone has a breast cancer associated gene, it doesn't necessarily mean they will develop breast cancer.*

REFERENCES

Bailey, L.B., and Gregory, J.F., III, Folate metabolism and requirements. J. Nutr., 129: 779-782, 1999.

Breakefield, X.O., and Hansen, C.R., Jr., Do DNA rearrangements occur in neuronal development? Clues from an inherited human disease. Trends in Neurosci. 6: 444-446, 1983.

Brinker, F., Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

Brown, K.H., Diarrhea and malnutrition. J. Nutr., 133(suppl.): 328S-332S, 2003.

Carper, J., Your Miracle Brain. New York: Harper Row, 2000.

Caudill, M.A., et al., Folate status response to controlled folate intake in pregnant women. J. Nutr. 127: 2363-2370, 1997.

Fairfield, K.M., and Fletcher, R.H., Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults. JAMA, 287: 3116-3126, 2002.

Fletcher, S.W., and Elmore, J.G., Mammographic screening for breast cancer. N. Eng. J. Med., 348: 1672-1680, 2003.

Haddad, E.H., et al., Dietary intake and biochemical, hematologic, and immune status of vegans compared with nonvegetarians. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 70(suppl.): 586S-593S, 1999.

Hansen, C.R., Jr., and Bershow, S.A., Immunology of TS/OCD. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 36: 1648-1649, 1997.

Herrmann, C., et al., Total homocysteine, vitamin B12, and total antioxidant status in vegetarians. Clin. Chem., 47:1094-1101, 2001.

Klee, G.G., Cobalamin and folate evaluation: measurement of methylmalonic acid and homocysteine vs vitamin B-12 and folate. Clin. Chem., 46:1277-1283, 2000.

Kuzminski, A.M., et al. Effective treatment of cobalamin deficiency with oral cobalamin. Blood, 92: 1191-1198, 1998.

Lavin, M., Role of the ataxia-telangiectasia gene (ATM) in breast cancer. BMJ, 317: 486-487, 1998.

Ravaglia, G., et al., Homocysteine and cognitive function in healthy elderly community dwellers in Italy. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 77: 668-673, 2003.

Rebbeck, T.R., et al., Modification of BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated breast cancer risk by AIB1 genotype and reproductive history. Cancer Res., 61: 5420-5424, 2001.

Rogers, L.M., et al., Predictors of cobalamin deficiency in Guatemalan school children: diet, Heliocobacter pylori, or bacterial overgrowth? J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr., 36: 27-36, 2003.

Rogers, L.M., et al., High prevalence of cobalamin deficiency in Guatemalan schoolchildren: association with low plasma holotranscobalamin II and elevated serum methylmalonic acid and plasma homocysteine concentrations. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 77(2): 433-440, 2003.

Rosenberg, L.E., Disorders of propionate and methylmalonate metabolism, in The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. Stansbury, J.B., et al., eds. New York: McGraw-Hill, 474-497, 1983.

Rosenberg, M., Hansen, C.R., Jr., and Breakefield, X.O., Molecular genetic approaches to neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Progress in Neurobiol., 24: 95-140, 1985.

Rowe, P.B., Inherited disorders of folate metabolism, in The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. Stansbury, J.B., et al., eds. New York: McGraw-Hill, 498-521, 1983.

Sakane, T., et al., Effects of methyl B12 on in vitro immune functions of human T lymphocytes. Experientia, 48: 716-720, 1982.

Segasothy, M., and Phillips, P.A., Vegetarian diet: panacea for modern lifestyle diseases? QJM, 92: 531-544, 1999.

Tatro, D.S., ed., Drug Interaction Facts. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons, 2001.

Venn, B.J., Green, T.J., Moser, R., and Mann, J.I., Comparison of the effects of low dose supplements with L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid on plasma homocysteine: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 77(3): 658-662, 2003.

Waldmann, T.A., and Nelson, D.L., Inherited immunodeficiencies, in Santer's Immunologic Diseases, Vol. I. Frank, M.M. et al., eds. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 387-429, 1995.

Wang, X-D., Retinoids and alcohol-related carcinogenesis. J. Nutr., 133: 287S-290S, 2003.

Wilson, J.D. Vitamin deficiencies and excess, in Harrison's Priniciples of Internal Medicine, Vol. I. Fauci, A.S., et al., eds. New York: McGraw-Hill, 480-489, 1998.

Zhang, S.M., et al., Plasma folate, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, homocysteine, and risk of breast cancer. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 95: 373-380, 2003.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All references made for the use of our products are intended for nutritional support to improve normal physiological states and conditions. Any impression made that our products are to be used to treat a disease state or condition should be considered inadvertent and coincidental. Our products are intended to supplement balanced diets.

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