Can vitamin B12 supplements cause cancer? It's a question some have asked me about. Given the fact that pretty much EVERY energy drink on the market contains massive amounts of B12, this is worthy of discussion. To be clear, there IS clinical research showing vitamin B12 may increase cancer risk. In this video review, I'll show you the research and give you my thoughts about it.
B 12 & Cancer: The Research
Watch video
Watch on my Youtube channel if you prefer.
Do You Need A B12 Supplement?
The best way to know if you need a supplement is to get your levels tested. While we do store B12, some groups who may need supplement include:
- vegans
- older folks who no longer absorb the vitamin as well as when they were younger
- those who have had bariatric weight loss surgery
- people with high levels of homocysteine
- people who take certain medications (eg. metformin) which can deplete levels
- alcoholics
References
- Circulating folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine, vitamin B12 transport proteins, and risk of prostate cancer: a case-control study, systematic review, and meta-analysis
- Is high vitamin B12 status a cause of lung cancer?
- Appraising the role of circulating concentrations of micro-nutrients in epithelial ovarian cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization analysis
- Long-Term, Supplemental, One-Carbon Metabolism–Related Vitamin B Use in Relation to Lung Cancer Risk in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort
To this topic:
everydayhealth.com/cancer/study-vitaminb-correlated-with-higher-cancer-risk
“the researchers theorize it’s more likely…”
Hi Atilia, they say they theorize its more likely cancer causes high levels of B12 than elevated B12 levels causing cancer. The idea being that people with cancer feel fatigued and reach for B12 supplements to cure it. When that doesnt work they go to the doctor who later finds cancer – and high levels of B12 from the supplements they were taking. Its definitely a possibility. That article you cited is from 2013. The sources I cited are more recent. Regardless, I think we need better studies to know what’s happening. It’s sad nobody has performed a real study to see what is going on. When in doubt get your B12 levels tested to see if you are low in this vitamin.
Another great review, Joe. It would’ve been interested if they had also looked at caffeine and it’s an association with those particular kinds of cancer. Do you think it would be ethical to do a placebo-controlled study with Vit. B12 and a placebo and its association with cancer if they really believed Vit. B12 was really associated with particular kinds of cancer?
It’s also interesting that multivitamin use wasn’t associated with particular kinds of cancer. Some multivitamins still have large doses of some vitamins. I had a discussion with a brother in law who doesn’t believe in multivitamins for some reason, but who takes individual vitamins instead. I’ll forward him your review.
Roseann, you raise an interesting question about doing a placebo vs B12 cancer study. I’m not sure I know the answer. Would people sign up for it if they thought they might get cancer? For what its worth I’m skeptical about the association but I also don’t think we will get that placebo study anytime soon either.
You are right about vitamin B12 in energy drinks. I just checked after watching your video. wow mine had 8333% of what’s normally recommended. Can’t believe I never noticed this before. Why do energy drinks do that?
Jane, energy drinks contain so much vitamin B12 because of its “energy” reputation. we get anemic when we lack vitamin B12. one of the signs of anemia is feeling tired. This goes away when you take B12 supplements (or if a doctor gives you a shot of B12). But if your not deficient in B12, taking supplements won’t give you extra energy. The energy in energy drinks comes from caffeine. Energy drinks may contain 100 mg to more than 300 mg per can. I’ve seen powdered pre-workout supplements with even more caffeine.