Vitamin B6, inflammation and cancer: what is known
What it found
Vitamin B6 is involved in inflammation and long-term illnesses including cancer, but whether low levels or extra intake matter most is still unclear.
The paper does not report results from people, animals or cells.
What they found
What B6 does in the body
Vitamin B6 acts as a helper molecule for more than 150 enzymes. These enzymes control metabolism and the making of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, heme and other active substances.
Inflammation and cancer link
Reports over the last 10 years have tied vitamin B6 to inflammation and to long-term illnesses linked with inflammation, including cancer. The link between inflammation, vitamin B6 status and cancer is not yet fully worked out.
Low levels or extra intake
It is not clear whether the focus should be on vitamin B6 deficiency or on taking more than the current requirement. The authors say the recommended daily intake should be looked at again.
What affects B6 status
Many things affect a person's vitamin B6 status, including age, obesity and inflammation from long-term illness. Vitamin B6 matters for health beyond its role as a helper molecule.
Hydrogen sulfide and taurine
Vitamin B6 helps make hydrogen sulfide, a gas that carries signals in the body, and taurine. How this works in health and disease, especially in keeping mitochondria intact and in inflammation, still needs study.
How B6 talks to cells
Recent work shows vitamin B6 interacts directly with inflammasomes and with proteins called nuclear receptor corepressor and coactivator, and receptor-interacting protein 140. The authors say this gives a strong reason to study its role in cancer and health further.
What the authors conclude
“A link between inflammation B6 status and carcinogenesis is not yet completely understood.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say whether the current recommended daily intake for B6 is adequate should be revisited, since B6 is important to human health beyond its role as a coenzyme.
- They write that the link between inflammation, B6 status and carcinogenesis is not yet completely understood.
- They call for further exploration of the multifaceted role of B6 in carcinogenesis and human health.
How it was done
For years vitamin B6 was seen as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient that also affects immunity and gene activity. In the last 10 years more reports have linked it to inflammation and inflammation-related chronic illnesses including cancer.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This paper pulls together existing reports rather than running its own study, so it cannot show cause and effect.
- It does not give amounts of vitamin B6, doses or results from people or animals.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
The paper
- Title
- The Emerging Role of Vitamin B6 in Inflammation and Carcinogenesis
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Bird RP (2018). The Emerging Role of Vitamin B6 in Inflammation and Carcinogenesis. Advances in food and nutrition research. doi:10.1016/bs.afnr.2017.11.004PubMed 29477221DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error