What Is The Link Between B12 Levels And Cancer Risk? Here’s What Experts Say

Vitami
B12
is
a
esse tial
ut ie t
that
plays
a
impo ta t
ole
i
seve al
vital
fu ctio s
i
the
body.
It
helps
i
DNA
p oductio ,
suppo ts
the
e vous
system,
co t ibutes
to
the
fo matio
of
healthy
ed
blood
cells
a d
is
i volved
i
the
metabolism
of
fats
a d
ami o
acids.
A
deficie cy
of
B12
ca
cause
health
p oblems,
pa ticula ly
i
people
who
follow
st ict
pla t-based
diets
o
have
co ditio s
that
affect
ut ie t
abso ptio .
But
i
ece t
yea s,
esea che s
have
also
bee
exami i g
a othe
questio :
Could
u usually
high
o
low
B12
levels
be
li ked
to
ca ce ?
The
a swe
is
mo e
complicated
tha
it
may
seem.
Studies
have
fou d
associatio s
betwee
ab o mal
B12
levels
a d
seve al
ca ce s,
but
cu e t
evide ce
does
ot
establish
that
B12
itself
causes
ca ce .

Why
Is
Vitami
B12
Bei g
Li ked
To
Ca ce ?

The
co ectio
betwee
B12
a d
ca ce
has
att acted
scie tific
i te est
because
of
the
vitami ‘s
ole
i
DNA
sy thesis
a d
cell
metabolism.
Resea che s
i itially
co side ed
whethe
i sufficie t
B12
could
i te fe e
with
DNA
epai
a d
pote tially
co t ibute
to
mutatio s.
Howeve ,
some
studies
have
fou d
a
diffe e t
patte .
People
with
ce tai
ca ce s
have
sometimes
bee
fou d
to
have
u usually
high
levels
of
B12
i
thei
blood.
This
does
ot
ecessa ily
mea
that
excess
B12
is
causi g
ca ce .
Ca ce
itself
ca
cha ge
the
way
the
body
sto es,
t a spo ts
a d
uses
B12,
pote tially
esulti g
i
elevated
blood
levels.

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People
At
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Of
Death,
Study
Wa s

High
B12
Levels
May
Be
A
Sig
Of
A
U de lyi g
P oblem

The
amou t
of
B12
co sumed
th ough
food
o
suppleme ts
is
ot
the
same
as
the
amou t
measu ed
i
the
bloodst eam.
Blood
B12
levels
a e
i flue ced
by
how
the
body
abso bs,
sto es,
t a spo ts
a d
uses
the
vitami .
The
live
sto es
substa tial
amou ts
of
B12,
while
p otei s
i
the
blood
t a spo t
the
vitami
a ou d
the
body.
Ce tai
ca ce s,
pa ticula ly
adva ced
ca ce s
o
ca ce s
affecti g
the
live ,
ca
i te fe e
with
these
p ocesses.
Some
tumou s
may
also
alte
the
p oductio
of
p otei s
i volved
i
B12
t a spo t.
As
a
esult,
a
high
B12
eadi g
could
sometimes
eflect
cha ges
occu i g
i
the
body
because
of
a
u de lyi g
disease
athe
tha
bei g
the
cause
of
that
disease.

What
Does
Resea ch
O
Colo
Ca ce
Show?

A
ece t
study
i volvi g
mo e
tha
37,000
people
with
colo
ca ce
exami ed
B12
blood-test
esults
eco ded
a ou d
the
time
of
diag osis.
Resea che s
fou d
that
patie ts
with
elevated
B12
levels
had
poo e
su vival
outcomes
tha
those
with
o mal
levels.
They
we e
also
mo e
likely
to
have
adva ced
disease
at
diag osis
a d
to
develop
metastases,
i cludi g
sp ead
to
the
live .
Resea che s
fu the
exami ed
colo
tumou
samples
a d
ide tified
i c eased
activity
of
the
MTR
ge e,
which
is
i volved
i
a
biochemical
pathway
that
equi es
B12.
Tumou s
with
g eate
activity
of
this
ge e
we e
associated
with
poo e
su vival.
Howeve ,
these
fi di gs
do
ot
p ove
that
B12
fuels
ca ce
o
that
taki g
B12
causes
tumou s
to
g ow.
They
suggest
that
the
elatio ship
betwee
B12
metabolism
a d
ca ce
may
be
mo e
complicated
tha
p eviously
thought.

Ca
Low
B12
Also
Be
Li ked
To
Ca ce ?

I te esti gly,
esea ch
has
epo ted
associatio s
at
both
e ds
of
the
B12
spect um.
A
2024
obse vatio al
study
i volvi g
ca ce
patie ts
a d
people
without
ca ce
fou d
a
U-shaped
associatio
betwee
dieta y
B12
i take
a d
ca ce
isk.
Both
u usually
low
a d
u usually
high
epo ted
i take
we e
associated
with
i c eased
isk
compa ed
with
mode ate
i take.
Howeve ,
such
studies
have
impo ta t
limitatio s.
Dieta y
i take
was
based
o
people’s
ecollectio
of
what
they
ate,
a d
obse vatio al
esea ch
ca
ide tify
associatio s
but
ca ot
establish
that
B12
caused
ca ce .
Resea che s
the efo e
ca ot
co clude
that
i c easi g
o
educi g
B12
i take
will
p eve t
ca ce .

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Symptoms
A d
P eve tio
Tips

B12
A d
Ca ce :
What
Should
You
Take
Away?

The
elatio ship
betwee
vitami
B12
a d
ca ce
emai s
u settled.
Cu e t
esea ch
suggests
that
ab o mal
B12
levels,
pa ticula ly
elevated
blood
levels
i
people
who
al eady
have
ca ce ,
may
sometimes
act
as
a
ma ke
of
disease
o
cha ges
i
the
body
athe
tha
bei g
a
di ect
cause
of
ca ce .
At
the
same
time,
B12
emai s
a
esse tial
ut ie t,
a d
deficie cy
ca
cause
se ious
health
p oblems.
People
who
have
a
co fi med
deficie cy
should
follow
app op iate
medical
advice
athe
tha
avoidi g
B12
because
of
co ce s
about
ca ce .
It
is
also
impo ta t
ot
to
i te p et
a
high
B12
blood-test
esult
o
its
ow .
If
B12
levels
a e
u expectedly
high
without
a
clea
expla atio ,
a
healthca e
p ofessio al
ca
assess
the
esult
alo gside
othe
tests,
medicatio s,
suppleme ts
a d
ove all
health.
I
sho t,
scie ce
has
fou d
a
li k
betwee
ab o mal
B12
levels
a d
ca ce
outcomes,
but
a
di ect
cause-a d-effect
elatio ship
has
ot
bee
established.
Mo e
esea ch
is
eeded
to
u de sta d
whethe
B12
is
co t ibuti g
to
ca ce
biology
o
whethe
ca ce
is
espo sible
fo
the
cha ges
i
B12
levels.

[Disclaime :
The
i fo matio
p ovided
i
the
a ticle
is
sha ed
by
expe ts
a d
is
i te ded
fo
ge e al
i fo matio al
pu poses
o ly.
It
is
ot
a
substitute
fo
p ofessio al
medical
advice,
diag osis,
o
t eatme t.
Always
seek
the
advice
of
you
physicia
o
othe
qualified
healthca e
p ovide
with
a y
questio s
you
may
have
ega di g
a
medical
co ditio .]

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