Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

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SusanJ
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

Post by SusanJ »

Don't know if high B values mask other things, but it is easy to get too high of levels like Sandy and then other pathways get pushed. Perhaps there is a problem metabolising and moving excess out of the methylation cycle (CBS variants) - high SAM should push CBS to get rid of the excess. Zinc and B6 are co-factors.

I found brain effects, too, with too high of levels - mine was busy brain. Couldn't turn it off. All that extra SAM that gets produced out of the methylation cycle has to go somewhere, and it often ends up in the pathways that effect neurotransmitters. Smart to drop them and glad you noticed improvement.

Another cautionary tale about taking too much for someone's individual needs. Thanks for sharing.
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Julie G
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

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I agree that "overdoing" for one's needs can cause problems, but this is clearly another example of dancing on the head of a pin :roll:. We need enough to keep homocysteine down. The correlation between elevated homocysteine and Alzheimer's is very well established. IMHO, it should be one of our primary targets.

Need convincing? Check out these AMAZING talks from the current experts in the field Drs. David Smith (Oxford) and Helga Refsum (University of Oslo.) See links below. You need to register with Nestle Nutrition Institute for free access.
Dr. Smith: https://www.nestlenutrition-institute.o ... sease.aspx
Dr. Refsum: https://www.nestlenutrition-institute.o ... Brain.aspx
Harrison
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

Post by Harrison »

My 2 cents on B-vitamins.

Folic acid masking B-12 deficiency is a well-established phenomena. When bread and other foods were initially fortified with folic acid/folate, this was a calculated balance between the minimum amount to prevent neural tube defects and the minimum amount that masks B-12 deficiency in the elderly. The B-12 supplements on the market now provide massive doses, however. I get a 5000mcg methylcobalamin formation from Costco that I am down to taking twice per week, and my numbers are still high.

Elevated levels of B-6 can also be a problem as they can cause peripheral neuropathy. I have elevated B6 just from taking a normal mulit-vitamin. I am homozygous for MTHFR A1298C, but not sure if that is having an impact here and the elevated levels are from poorly metabolizing Pyridoxine, although I also had slightly elevated levels when taking pyridoxal 5′-phosphate.

BTW, my homocysteine has consistently been 7-8 for at least 3 years despite changing doses of B6 and B12.
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Julie G
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

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Nice post, Harrison. IMO, you (and Susan) have both demonstrated balancing multiple B levels without going overboard while keeping homocysteine in check. You serve as examples to us all. I stumbled upon this interesting piece written for the British Medical Journal last winter. Apparently, Europe is/was (?) considering folic acid fortification. Smith & Refsum outline multiple issues beyond cancer:
Smith_FolicAcidFortification_BMJ2016 (dragged).pdf
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NewRon
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

Post by NewRon »

This great information, thank you all very much!

If one was to cut down on ones B Complex, would it be ok to take one every second day? I use Jarrow B Right.
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SusanJ
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

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NewRon, if your labs are within normal ranges, yes, you could do every other day and then retest to see what happens.
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

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Frank is my sister-in-law taking methyl B12 without having any MTHFR mutations? I think that can negatively impact cognitive function? Don't know much, just think I heard that a long while back. Maybe with her it's just the amounts.
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Re: Increasing cancer risk by taking b vitamins

Post by Ski »

NewRon wrote:This great information, thank you all very much!

If one was to cut down on ones B Complex, would it be ok to take one every second day? I use Jarrow B Right.
Thats pretty much the approach Ive now adopted with these. I did up my TMG to 1000mg daily.
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