In a previous blog entry  I drew attention to the fact that pelvic irradiation for cancer resulted in a greatly increased risk of subsequent hip fractures. (http://weblog.vitaminlady.com/blog/_archives/2005/11/25/1421442.html)

New research has resulted in facts about radiation and bone loss that may actually threaten its future as therapy. 

Dr. Moss's esteemed newsletter lays it out in detail.  As he points out, "In 1903, just a few years after the 1895 discovery of X-rays, the German surgeon Georg Clemens Perthes (1869-1927) exposed one wing of a day-old chicken to X-rays. Just 12 days later he noted that growth of the irradiated wing was retarded and that the feathers were abnormally formed. In 1905, two French scientists, Joseph Recamier and Louis Mathieu Tribondeau (1872-1918), described similar growth retardation in kittens. "

The conclusion?  "Exposing bone to radiation can result in four major types of complications: necrosis (a type of cell death), fractures, severe alterations in bone growth, and radiation-induced cancers.

Read his article here - you will need to scroll down the page a bit to access it (and when you do, my title will be explained!):

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/102906.html

This is a most intriguing study.  B6 is a fascinating nutrient, involved as it is in almost every metabolic function. It is easily depleted through use of alcohol and drugs, medicinal or other, and also high consumption of simple sugars.

Add to that the catch-22 loop that not only is B6 essential for the production of Hydrochloric Acid, but B6 also needs HCL to be absorbed, and you can see that  deficiencies are going to be common. In fact, using the P-5-P form of B6, which is more absorbable, is a strategy I highly recommend.

It has always stood to reason that B65 deficiencies are going to lead to trouble, since it is part of DNA synthesis, but this is the first study to actually document the process.

High daily intake of B6 cuts colon cancer risk by 58%