Vitamin deficiencies can affect your risk of developing different health problems, including some kinds of cancer. A lack of vitamin B6 may increase the risk of leukemia in children, and vitamin B6 supplementation may also help treat some of the side effects of treatments for leukemia. Talk to your doctor before using vitamin B6 supplements.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 exists in three different forms: pridoxal, pyridoxine and pyridoxamine. Like all of the B vitamins, vitamin B6 is needed to help the body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Vitamin B6 is also needed to make hemoglobin, a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen. Another important role of pyridoxine is in maintaining the health of the immune system. Not only does vitamin B6 help provide the body with the energy it needs to keep the immune system strong, vitamin B6 also helps maintain the health of the tissues where immune cells are made.
Vitamin B6 and Leukemia
Because vitamin B6 is important for keeping your immune system healthy, there is the possibility that a lack of this vitamin can increase your risk of developing cancers of the immune system, such as leukemia. A study that examined the levels of vitamin B6 in children with leukemia was published in a 1990 issue of "Cancer." This study found that children with leukemia have lower vitamin B6 levels than healthy children. However, the study did not find a direct causal link between vitamin B6 levels and leukemia, and there are no studies in the past decade examining the effects of a vitamin B6 deficiency and leukemia.
Vitamin B6 and Treatment Side Effects
Low levels of vitamin B6 may also make it hard for your body to withstand the side effects of some of the treatments for leukemia, including the chemotherapy drug vincristine. Vincristine can cause nerve damage when used to treat leukemia. A study, published in a 2010 issue of the "Indian Journal of Pediatrics" examined the effects of pyridoxine and another compound, pyridostigmine, on vincristine-induced neuropathy in four children. The combination of pyridoxine and pyridostigmine reversed the nerve damage in these children, suggesting that vitamin B6 is also important for withstanding the side effects of treatments for leukemia.
Considerations
Although vitamin B6 may be important for preventing leukemia, the relationship between vitamin B6 levels and leukemia has not been studied extensively in recent years, suggesting that vitamin B6 may not be a critical part of your leukemia risk. If you are concerned about vitamin B6 levels, talk to your doctor. High doses of vitamin B6 can be dangerous and cause painful nerve problems.
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