A new study has found that B-vitamins can reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.

A recent European study has suggested that people with high levels of B-vitamin in their blood may be at a reduced risk of lung cancer.

The study, funded by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and conducted by scientists at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), discovered that people with above average levels of vitamin B6 and methionine are half as likely to get lung cancer.

The research also found that results were similar for smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers alike.

People with high levels of vitamin B6, folate and methionine have a two-thirds lower risk of developing the disease.

The study looked at approximately 400,000 people from 10 European countries over eight years.

Despite the significance of the findings, more research is required before scientists can be confident that increasing levels of B-vitamin in the diet can reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.

Dr Panagiota Mitrou, Science Programme Manager for WCRF, said: “These findings are really exciting as they are important for understanding the process of lung cancer and could have implications for prevention.

“But while this is an important study, it is vital that we get the message across to smokers that increasing intake of B-vitamins is not – and never will be – a substitute for stopping smoking.”

B-vitamins can be found in fruits, leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, wholegrains as well as various meats, seeds, fish and nuts.