Energy-boost vitamin B pills linked to lung cancer

MEN who take energy-boosting vitamin B supplements could be at double the risk of lung cancer.

A study found men who take high doses of vitamins B6 or B12 over a long period were much more likely to develop the disease. If they also smoked, their risk of cancer was up to four times higher.

The body needs vitamins B6 and B12 to help ensure red blood cells are healthy and to process proteins, fat and carbohydrate.

They are naturally found in meat, fish, cheese, eggs and milk, but millions of people in the UK take supplements marketed as boosting your energy or metabolism.

The study in the US led by Ohio State University involved 77,000 people aged between 50 and 76. It found all men who took high-dose vitamin B supplements for a decade had about double the risk of developing lung cancer. There was no similar risk among women.

Study lead Dr Theodore Brasky warned many supplements contained doses ‘much, much higher’ than recommended.