Micronutrients & recovery
Deficiencies in specific micronutrients (folate, B12, B6, C, E, iron, zinc, niacin) cause DNA damage through mechanisms mimicking radiation, including single/double-strand breaks and oxidative lesions, thereby increasing cancer risk.
Ensure your diet includes enough fruits and vegetables to meet micronutrient needs, as deficiencies in vitamins like folate, B12, C, and E are common and can cause DNA damage similar to radiation. This damage is a key driver of cancer risk. Remedying these deficiencies through diet or supplements is a low-cost, high-impact strategy for improving long-term health and longevity.
Deficiencies of the vitamins B12, B6, C, E, folate, or niacin, or of iron or zinc mimic radiation in damaging DNA by causing single- and double-strand breaks, oxidative lesions, or both.
Why this rating
Strong mechanistic evidence (uracil incorporation, chromosome breaks) and consistent epidemiological data linking low intake to higher cancer rates.
Source
Micronutrient Deficiencies: A Major Cause of DNA Damage
Bruce N. Ames · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 1999
DOI 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb08727.x
More from this paper
- Folate deficiency causes extensive incorporation of uracil into human DNA, leading to chromosome breaks and increased colon cancer risk.Strong
- Inadequate intake of antioxidants (Vitamins C and E) mimics radiation exposure by failing to neutralize oxidative by-products of metabolism, leading to oxidative DNA damage and increased cancer risk.Good
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