B-Vitamin Intake from Diet and Supplements and Breast Cancer Risk in Middle-Aged Women: Results from the Prospective NutriNet-Santé Cohort

Nutrients. 2017 May 13;9(5):488. doi: 10.3390/nu9050488.

Abstract

Experimental studies suggest a protective effect of B-vitamins on breast cancer risk, potentially modulated by alcohol intake. However, epidemiological studies are limited, especially regarding non-folate B-vitamins. Furthermore, few studies included quantitative assessment of supplemental intake. This prospective study aimed to investigate the associations between intakes of B-vitamins (dietary, supplemental, total) and breast cancer risk. 27,853 women aged ≥45 years from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2016) were included, with a median follow-up time of 4.2 years. Dietary data were collected using repeated 24 h records. A specific questionnaire assessed dietary supplement use over a 12-month period. A composition database of 8000 supplements was developed. Associations were characterized by multivariable Cox models, and 462 incident breast cancers were diagnosed. Dietary (HRQ4vs.Q1 = 0.74 (0.55, 0.99), P-trend = 0.05), supplemental (HRQ4vs.Q1 = 0.61 (0.38, 0.98), P-trend = 0.05), and total (HRQ4vs.Q1 = 0.67 (0.50, 0.91), P-trend = 0.01) pyridoxine intakes were inversely associated with breast cancer risk. Total thiamin intake was borderline inversely associated with breast cancer risk (HRper 1-unit increment = 0.78 (0.61, 1.00), P = 0.05). Statistically significant interactions between alcohol consumption and B-vitamin (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folate, and cobalamin) supplemental intake were observed, the latter being inversely associated with breast cancer risk in non-to-low alcohol drinkers but not in higher drinkers. This large prospective study, including quantitative assessment of supplemental intake, suggests a potential protective effect of pyridoxine and thiamin on breast cancer risk in middle-aged women.

Keywords: B-vitamins; breast cancer risk; diet; dietary supplements; prospective cohort.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Diet*
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Exercise
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pyridoxine / administration & dosage
  • Pyridoxine / blood
  • Riboflavin / administration & dosage
  • Riboflavin / blood
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Thiamine / administration & dosage
  • Thiamine / blood
  • Vitamin B Complex / administration & dosage*
  • Vitamin B Complex / blood*

Substances

  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Pyridoxine
  • Riboflavin
  • Thiamine