A new study says that taking folic acid and other vitamin B supplements do not lower cancer risk; however, the good news is that they don’t increase cancer risk either.

The study has been published in the Nov.5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Study author, Dr. Shumin Zhang, who is an associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, says: “We have found that in women at cardiovascular disease risk folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 didn’t have any beneficial or harmful effects on their invasive or breast cancer risk.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government has mandated to add folic acid to cereals and breads, as their adequate levels in women have proven to prevent serious birth defects.

A study shows that almost one-third of adults in the U.S. take a daily multi-vitamin that has folic acid, B6 and B12. There are also some studies that suggest these supplements may help to protect against cancer.

But there is also a study which even suggests that these supplements may raise the risk of cancer.

In their study, Zhang and team reviewed data on 5,442 women who took part in the Women, Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study. These women were 42 years and old, and had preexisting cardiac disease or had more than two risk factors for heart disease.