ReviewPathology oncology research : POR2026
B vitamins intake and cancer risk: a structured narrative review of evidence on riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin and folate.
Review in Pathology oncology research : POR, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Targeting Reactive Species Stress and Nutrient Sensing to Enhance NK-Cell Function: Mechanistic Strategies for Overcoming Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Resistance Through Supplement Therapy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: B vitamins play key roles in one-carbon metabolism, DNA synthesis and methylation, and redox regulation. Their potential association with cancer risk remains debated due to heterogeneous findings and methodological limitations across studies. Objective: This structured narrative review aimed to summarize and clinically contextualize the available evidence on the relationship between the intake of vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin) and folate (vitamin B9) and the risk of selected cancers. Methods: A structured literature search was performed in PubMed up to 2 September 2025. Evidence was synthesized narratively, prioritizing meta-analyses (including dose-response meta-analyses) of observational studies, and including randomized controlled trials on B-vitamin supplementation when clinically relevant. Methodological quality and risk of bias were appraised narratively focusing on key domains such as exposure assessment, confounding, selection bias, and outcome assessment. Results: Most evidence derives from observational studies assessing dietary intake and circulating biomarkers. Riboflavin and vitamin B6 intake were generally associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in several meta-analyses, including dose-response analyses. Vitamin B12 showed inconsistent associations across cancer sites, with concerns regarding confounding by diet and baseline nutritional status. Folate intake and folic acid supplementation showed mixed findings, with some evidence suggesting protective effects in specific populations, while randomized trials raised concerns about potential adverse effects in selected contexts and dosages. Overall, heterogeneity across studies was substantial, partly explained by differences in exposure definitions, baseline folate fortification policies, and co-interventions. Conclusion: Available evidence suggests potentially protective associations for riboflavin and vitamin B6-particularly for colorectal cancer-whereas findings for vitamin B12 and folate remain inconsistent and context-dependent. Given relevant methodological limitations and potential biases, further well-designed prospective studies and targeted trials are needed to clarify dose, timing and population-specific effects of B vitamins on cancer risk.
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