Vitamin B6

B6 Vitamin does not have a special name like a lot of the other B vitamins. It is one of the B vitamins most recognized of the B’s. The B6 vitamin comes in seven different forms.

Two of them that are the most common are:

  • Pyridoxine (PN): Is the type that would be in a supplement you buy called B6.
  • Pyridoxine 5’-phosphate (PLP): A metabolically active form.

It does not matter which one because they both do the same job in the body.

What Does the B6 Vitamin do for the Body?

This is an important one because it has a big job. The B6 vitamin is critical for your red blood cells. They carry the hemoglobin through the body. This process carries oxygen to every part of the body. Here is a little tip the more oxygen you can carry to all the parts of the body the healthier and less tired you will feel. By having less oxygen in the blood it makes you feel weak and very tired.

And it’s also essential  because the B6 vitamin is also used by 100 different enzymes that metabolize proteins. If you do not metabolize proteins you can’t build muscle. The B6 vitamin boosts the immune system to fight off many types of infections.  If metabolizing protein were not enough the B6 vitamin is used to support many other vitamins and minerals that increase the production of white blood cells that fight the infections.

The B6 vitamin maintains the health of many other organs used in the immune system. Like the lymph node network and thymus which are responsible for the white blood cell production. The B6 vitamin helps to keep the blood glucose or (blood sugar) in balance.

Vitamin B6 Deficiencies

Here are some things to know to be able to tell if you are not getting enough of the B6 vitamin in your diet.

The tell tale signs are not hard to spot:

  • Eczema and dermatitis plus shin eruptions
  • Conjunctivitis
  • A sore tongue
  • Seizures, depression, confusion and mental issues

You will be at risk of a B6 vitamin deficiency if you have more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Alcohol destroys the B6 vitamin!

It is always the best idea to eat a healthy diet and a B6 vitamin deficiency is not the only thing that can cause these symptoms. But it is a good idea to be aware of them. Remember that prescription drugs do work against the B6 vitamins. B supplements are always a good idea to help when something causes a deficiency that is not in our control.

What Foods Rich in B6 Vitamins are Best?

  • Pork and very lean beef
  • Fish (Cold water fish like salmon and trout)
  • Poultry
  • Avocados
  • Bananas
  • Cereals that are fortified
  • Garbanzo beans or chickpeas

The B6 vitamins are also soluble in water like all of the B vitamins. This is one of the reasons that the body must be resupplied every day. The body does not store the B6 vitamin is another reason.

Can You Get a B6 Vitamin Overdose?

It is possible but you would really have to work at it by taking 200 to 500 capsules a day.

What is the Recommended Daily Allowance of the B6 Vitamin?

The recommended daily allowance from the RDA is 1.3 mg for adult women and 1.6 mg in adult men per day.

The B6 vitamin pyridoxine arranges and redistributes the amino acids to create more than five thousand different proteins and enzymes used by the body.

Vitamin B7 Facts

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(Avery Publishing Group) Titus County Regional Medical Center, Mt. Pleasant, TX. Details the benefits of vitamin B6 and discusses how it works, and why it is so important. For consumers. Softcover.