Do Vitamins increase Breast Cancer?

Yes, this topic is very controversial. And most likely there are both positives and negatives waiting to be discovered. Recent studies have found that the same vitamins often change directions in different situations, dosages, or forms. One Beta Carotene study on smoking revealed this parody. This makes proper vitamin supplement decisions a vital factor.

NOTE: The material you are about to read presents more evidence that major changes are now necessary to over 95% of current multiple vitamin mineral formulas. The new vitamin criteria offered on this website might correct many of these adverse challenges.

Since this topic is a current study of a vital issue, it deserves top billing. Women reporting 10 years of vitamin usage had 19% more Breast Cancers than women not taking vitamins. General info

Here are the study facts: 35,000 women ages 49-83 at start were interviewed for vitamin usage and followed for ten years. From this Swedish Karolinska Institute study, 293 cancers developed in the 9, 017 women taking vitamins (3.25%), while 681 cancers were found in 26,000 women not on vitamins (2.62%). This is 19.4% higher in the vitamin taking group. It was not determined what vitamins were taken, or how much, or for how long.  ref

This is not a cause and effect study, but rather an association of observable facts. Other factors were considered to equalize the groups. The most significant fact of this study was that women taking vitamins had slightly greater density of breast tissue. Here is another study. Increased density of tissues has already been found to be a contributor to greater breast cancer rates. ref 

When breast tissues exhibit greater density, there is less fat and more glandular and connective tissue. Thus, the question one has to ask, is this related to genetics or / and diet or other environmentals? And would medical scans or mammograms influence as well. Hormone balance appears to be the greatest determinant and would come under genetics with some dietary and lifestyle (exercise) modifiers.

The women in the above mentioned study who reported multiple vitamin use exhibited 5% greater breast tissue density than non-vitamin users. Evidently, this small change may be enough to influence breast cancer rates. Vitamin D and calcium studies have shown the ability to lower breast densities. ref ref ref The most effective amounts are for vitamin D greater than 200 IUs and for calcium 600-750 mg. NOTE: These results are for premenopausal women only. And even though somewhat small, still significant.  Not all studies show these same results. ref ref ref There could be other factors also at play that influence results. Did you notice that at higher calcium amounts, vitamin D showed a negative association in one study.

Another study looking into density found that women with higher density had a 21% breast cancer rate compared to those with the lowest density at a 5% risk. Remember this is not 20% of people, but rather the difference between those with high density versus lower density. For example, 20% might only reflect a change from 5 up to 6 out of a thousand getting cancer. That is just one per thousand extra, yet expressed as a percentage is 20% more. While 20% sounds impressive, one needs to know the actual numbers to put the percentage number in perspective. Regardless, any increase needs verification as to a cause, or reason.

Another study out of San Francisco found that women with higher density breast tissues were more likely to have a 1st degree relative with breast cancer. The results were pretty much in a linear line. As density increased, so did the likelihood of a relative with breast cancer, indications for a genetic link, or maybe a lifestyle one if from same household.

Now, back to taking vitamins and breast cancer. Another larger study in the United States of 160,000 women, did not find any association to higher breast cancer rates. ref A few smaller studies have found slightly less cancers in those taking vitamins. Notice: Protective effect seen from total carotenoid family and NOT just Beta Carotene by itself, the synthetic form used in the majority of supplements. ref  This issue needs more research. ref Look at these vitamin E family results.  

Critical Vitamin Factors

What is critical to know? Are there any possible vitamin functions that could influence breast tissue density and thus increase breast cancer?  One vitamin, Folic Acid, involved with cell replication and DNA synthesis, might actually speed up the growth of tumors simply because that is how it normally functions. There is a class of Cancer drugs called "antifolates" that are designed to limit the influence of folates in cells. Folate is the natural form while Folic Acid is the synthetic form. It was observed that cancers grew slower in people who where folate deficient. Could excess folate, or folic acid, be a factor for increasing breast tissue density???

Since there is less fat and more fibrous material in greater density breast tissue, are there vitamins that could increase this connective material. Vitamin C does increase collagen which forms connective tissue. See study linked below.

HOW ABOUT FOLIC ACID

Most remember folic acid as preventing birth defects, but there is also evidence that outside of a healthy window of dosages, folic acid may just work too well and stimulate the growth rate of already present tumors or have an affect on brain functions in dementia tied with low vitamin B12 levels.

Folic Acid is the synthetic form of folate, the natural form found in the body. Folic acid up to about 600 mcg a day can be converted in the body by the liver into the natural folate form. Over this amount, or in certain individuals, "unmetabolized" or unconverted synthetic folic acid starts to circulate in the body. This has been found to lower the activity level of natural killer cells in the immune system. Plus, for the first time it is showing up in newborn babies, even from mothers who did not take supplements of folic acid. In the United States, Canada, and Chile, wheat and rice flour are fortified with synthetic folic acid at about 140 mcg per 100 grams of white flour or white rice serving. The total significance of this unmetabolized folic acid is currently unknown.

Other articles explain folic acid in more detail. The newly developed Vitamin Criteria is designed to take these facts into consideration for you while Team RightWay monitors research for further updates.

In conclusion - Do multiple vitamins increase breast cancers?- The answer might need an explanation. If you stay within healthy supplement amounts as developed in this new criteria using complete family nutrients, maybe NOT, and there might be slight benefits, such as to increase DNA repair capacity. If you take mega-dosages and / or fractionate the vitamin families plus use certain synthetic vitamins, MAYBE. Breast tissue density changes is one possible measurable factor. If you have a family genetic link to breast cancer, it may be best to severely limit certain vitamin supplements until issues settled: Folic acid, vitamins C & E, and B12. Plus, the dietary ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat is involved, as well as lean to fat mass factors which appear to change pre-menopausal to postmenopausal as hormone influences change. Very complicated issue. The same nutrient can have both positive and negative study results. Watch for further clarifications. 

Vital Study on vitamin and dietary influences below.

click here> Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000 Feb;9(2):151-60.

BELOW: Watch for article on vitamin C and cancer.  A new link has been discovered that shows how vitamin C helps fight cancer cells. Plus, more on breast cancer and vitamins D and E.

DNA Repair Capacity for MULTIPLE VITAMINS 

Another study excerpt below has significant information about multiple vitamin benefits from the American Association of Cancer Research 101st annual meeting:

"The authors also measured the women's DNA repair capacity, which is a mechanism that helps prevent damaged normal cells from turning into cancer cells, including those in the breast.

DNA repair capacity was measured with a validated assay, using blood samples previously taken from all study participants.

They found that "a higher DNA repair capacity was associated with multivitamin intake and calcium intake," said Dr. Matta.

"Our paper is the first to show that DNA repair capacity can be modified by multivitamin and/or calcium intake," he said. Previous research has suggested that DNA repair capacity is "genetically fixed," he explained.

They also found that a decreased DNA repair capacity was associated with breast cancer. Specifically, for each decreasing percent unit of DNA repair capacity, the odds of having breast cancer increased 1.9 times.

In addition, the researchers had more conventional findings: a family history of breast cancer meant 2.2-fold greater odds of having breast cancer. Advancing age, increasing body mass index, and not breastfeeding also statistically significantly increased the risk for breast cancer.

Notably, when the researchers included DNA repair capacity in their risk analysis (logistic regression model), the protective effect of calcium was no longer statistically significant, "suggesting that DNA repair capacity is responsible for the association we found," they write in their AACR abstract.

In contrast, the association of multivitamin intake and breast cancer was unaffected when they adjusted for higher levels of DNA repair capacity, suggesting that multivitamins are an "independent protective factor," write Dr. Matta and colleagues.

Also of note was the fact that taking single supplements of each vitamin (A, E, C, and beta-carotene alone) was not associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk, reported Dr. Matta." end of copy

Plus, don't miss this article on vitamins to Breast Cancer development.

WARNING: Since this topic is very controversial, immediate medical care is of the utmost importance. There are many different types of cancers with each requiring a unique set of treatment protocols.