Vitamin B supplements linked to lung cancer in men, new study finds

Though supplements can do everything from an energy boost to losing weight, they can tend to do harm to human body too

Some health supplements come along with health risks ranging from vomiting and nausea to an increased risk of cancer and death, suggested a research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology this week.

Even though the supplements can do everything from an energy boost to losing weight, they can tend to do harm to our body as well.

“Long-term, high-dose supplementation with vitamins B6 and B12 — two supplements that allegedly increase energy — was linked with an increased risk of developing lung cancer in men who regularly smoked,” claim epidemiologists from two American cancer research institutes and the National Taiwan University.



They observed data from more than 77,000 men aged between 50-76 for 10 years to study connections between supplements and cancer risk.

“Men who took more than 20mg of B6 or 55 micrograms of B12 every day were three times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who didn't take the supplement,” they concluded.

However, the study has key limitations as the participants were regular smokers and already predisposed to develop this disease.

"This is certainly a concern worthy of further evaluation," Theodore Brasky, one of the study authors and a cancer researcher at Ohio State, said in a statement.

Supplements were introduced in the 1930s and 1940s to address nutrient deficiencies and illnesses like rickets apart from avoiding expensive medical treatment.

In recent years, a new generation of supplements has been introduced that targets middle class and affluent women and claims to deliver health benefits like metabolism jump starts and energy boosts.

"What is different about what Goop offers is that the combinations, the protocols put together, were done by doctors in Goop's team," Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist who helped design several of Goop's multivitamin packs, told Business Insider.

“One of the supplements, vitamin B6, involved in the latest study is "likely safe" if the recommended daily intake amount does not exceed,” confirmed the Mayo Clinic.

However, overdose may result in abnormal heart rhythms, worsened asthma and low blood pressure.

"People using any medications should check the package insert and speak with a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, about possible interactions," the Mayo Clinic's website says.

“The new research should be interpreted with caution,” said the council of Responsible nutrition, a Washington DC based trade organisation that represents more than 150 supplement companies.



"We remind consumers that dietary supplements are intended to supplement, not replace, a healthy diet. They cannot — and will not — reverse the potential harm from unhealthy behaviour, such as smoking, said Douglas MacKay, the organisation's senior vice-president in a statement.

For decades researchers have been studying links between supplements and disease. Scientists have even turned their focus to smokers to see if supplements can help decrease the risk of lung cancer.

Experts suggest it is wiser to get the nutrients we need through food instead of relying on supplements.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider