If you're one of the millions of individuals not getting enough vitamins and minerals, you may be depriving your body systems of crucially helpful nutrients that can support basic cellular health.

A recent meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed several studies on vitamin B6 intake¹. Researchers found that increased blood levels of B6 were associated with a decreased risk of abnormal cellular growth in the colorectal area.

Another recently published study dealt with the intake of various nutrients and the risk of developing abnormal cellular growth in the bladder². The authors concluded that in older individuals, higher intakes of carotenoids, vitamin D, thiamine, niacin and vitamin E were inversely related to the risk of abnormal cellular growth in the bladder.

As important as these nutrients are, some of us may engage in activities that could deplete them. A recent study in Clinical Chemistry found that smoking lowered blood concentrations of various B vitamins, including folate, B6 and riboflavin³. However, nutrient levels increased significantly after only a few days of smoking cessation.

These studies and many others point to the need for consuming adequate amounts of important vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, our diets are typically severely deficient. If you want to supplement your nutrient intake, I suggest that you look for a multi-vitamin or nutrient product that contains more than just the RDA, as this number is generally lower than the optimal dose needed to maximize health.

1. Larsson S, Orsini N, Wolk A. Vitamin B6 and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of the American Medical Association. March 2010 303(11):1077-83.

2. Brinkman M, Karagas M, Zens M, Schned A, Reulen R, Zeegers M. Minerals and vitamins and the risk of bladder cancer: results from the New Hampshire Study. Cancer Causes & Control. April 2010 21(4):609-19.

3. Ulvik A, Ebbing M, Hustad S, Midttun O, Nygard O, Vollset S, Bonaa K, Nordrehaug J, Nilsen D, Schirmer H, Ueland P. Long- and short-term effects of tobacco smoking on circulating concentrations of B vitamins. Clinical Chemistry. March 2010 [Epub ahead of print].