A study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, reveals that for individuals with previous cardiovascular disease, taking vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acid supplements for cancer prevention does not seem to beneficial. The study is part of the journal’s Less is More series.

Although it is believed that proper nutrition helps prevent cancer, researcher still do not fully know about the roles of individual nutrients in different populations.

A second examination of data from the Supplementation with Folate, Vitamins B6 and B12 and /or Omega-3 Fatty Acids (SU.FOL.OM3) Randomized Controlled Trial carried out from February 2003 to July 2009 in France, was conducted by Valentina A. Andreeva, Ph.D., of the University of Paris XIII, and colleagues.

In total, 2,501 individuals (514 women and 1,987 men) aged between 45 to 80 years old, who had unstable angina, ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) during the previous 12 months, met study criteria and were randomized in the trial.

The researchers discovered:

  • 2.3% of the patients died from cancer
  • 7% of participants (145 men and 29 women) presented with incident primary cancer
  • And that there was no link between supplementation with B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids or both, and cancer outcomes

The researchers explain:

“These ancillary results from the SU.FOL.OM3 trial do not provide evidence of beneficial effects of supplementation with B vitamins and/or ω-3 fatty acids in relatively low doses for five years on cancer incidence or mortality among CVD [cardiovascular disease] survivors.”

According to the researchers 83.3% of the cancer incidence and 81% of cancer deaths occurred in male participants, who made up for 79.4% of the study population, although neither type of supplementation produced any effects. Furthermore, the researchers found that both types of supplementation were likely to increase cancer risk among women, of which around 83% were menopausal.

The researchers said:

“However these results were derived from very few cases and should be regarded as preliminary.”

They conclude:

“In summary, this study does not support dietary use of B vitamins or ω-3fatty acids for cancer prevention. The preliminary evidence of adverse effects among women necessitates confirmation before firm conclusions could be drawn.”

Written by Grace Rattue