B Vitamins and Cancer Risk in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Kabat G C, Miller A B, Jain M, Rohan T E
Primary Institution: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Hypothesis
Does dietary intake of selected B vitamins relate to the risk of major cancers in women?
Conclusion
The study found little evidence supporting an association between dietary intake of B vitamins and the risk of five major cancers in women.
Supporting Evidence
- Alcohol consumption showed a modest positive association with breast cancer risk.
- None of the B vitamins or methionine was associated with risk of breast cancer.
- The highest quintile of riboflavin intake was associated with reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
- Thiamin intake showed an inverse association with colorectal cancer risk.
Takeaway
Eating B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin doesn't seem to help prevent major cancers in women.
Methodology
The study used Cox proportional hazard models to analyze dietary intake data from a large cohort of Canadian women over an average of 16.4 years.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding due to correlations between different nutrients.
Limitations
The study relied on dietary information collected at baseline, which may not reflect changes over time, and did not account for vitamin supplement use.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 40-59 from the general Canadian population.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.05 for riboflavin and ovarian cancer risk.
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.37–0.86 for riboflavin and ovarian cancer risk.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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