TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A University of Missouri study found that taking a popular vitamin supplement may contribute to brain cancer risks.
The vitamin, called nicotinamide riboside, is a variant of B3. Taking the nutritional pill could increase the chances of brain cancer, according to the to studythe results of
Known for its benefits for metabolism, brain health, and cardiovascular systems, nicotinamide riboside is sometimes referred to as an “anti-aging” vitamin. the National Institute of Health reports that NR can be used to “modulate the aging process and thus exhibit life-prolonging effects.” according to previous studyalthough the full effects and process of making it are still unclear.
However, new research from an international group of scientists and chemists found that high levels of NR could also lead to an increased risk of developing cancer.
According to the University of Missouri’s announcement of the study results, “NR may not only increase a person’s risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, but it may also cause the cancer to metastasize or spread to the brain.” .
Metastasis is when cancer cells spread throughout the body causing multiple tumor growths beyond an initial location.
Elena Goun, an associate professor of chemistry at MU and one of the study’s authors, said that when cancer reaches the brain, the results are deadly because there are no viable treatments available.
“Some people take them [vitamins and supplements] because they automatically assume that vitamins and supplements only have positive health benefits, but very little is known about how they actually work.” goun said. “Because of this lack of knowledge, we were inspired to study the basic questions about how vitamins and supplements work in the body.”
The increased risk of metastatic brain cancer was revealed by Goun’s work investigating the impact of NR on cancer spread, due to increased metabolism. Using bioluminescence-based probes, Goun and his fellow study authors were able to see how NR affected cancer growth.
Using bioluminescent technology, the researchers were able to examine the presence of NR with light and found that “the brighter the light, the more NR is present.”
While NR is already widely used in people and is being investigated in so many ongoing clinical trials for additional applications, much of how NR works is a black box, not understood,” said Goun. “That inspired us to devise this new imaging technique based on ultrasensitive bioluminescent images that allow the quantification of NR levels in real time in a non-invasive way.”
According to Goun, the study findings show the “importance of having careful investigations” of the side effects of supplements in people with different health conditions.
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