Vitamin B6 - it regulates a lot!

Fresh foods not only fill you up, but can also support our health. With a balanced diet, they contain many important vitamins, minerals and trace elements that promote numerous metabolic processes and can prevent deficiency symptoms.

In this article, we report on a member of the B vitamin group: B6. This is because it is not only the often-mentioned vitamin B12 that is important for our health, but also this one.

You can find out here how high the daily requirement is and which foods can support you in your supply. Good news for vegetarians and vegans: you can also avoid a vitamin B6 deficiency and associated symptoms by eating foods such as vegetables, fruit and nuts.

What is vitamin B6?

This vitamin belongs to the group of B vitamins and is therefore water-soluble. It occurs in food in three natural forms: Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine and pyridoxal. The particularly effective coenzyme form of pyridoxal is called pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP). It supports more than 100 enzymes in carrying out various functions, such as the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It also supports our body in maintaining normal homocysteine levels and the immune system as well as brain health.

The water-soluble vitamin is very sensitive to the effects of light and heat, so care should be taken when storing and processing food to avoid loss of vitamin content. After all, nutrition plays an important role for our body!

What do we need vitamin B6 for?

This vitamin supports the human body in

the formation of neurotransmitters for the transmission of signals between nerve cells
the formation of hormones (including the happiness hormone serotonin), the immune system and red blood cells
the energy metabolism
the metabolism of amino acids and carbohydrates
the regulation of homocysteine levels in the blood, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

How does a vitamin B6 deficiency manifest itself?

A deficiency of this vitamin often occurs in combination with other B vitamins, such as an undersupply of vitamin B12 or vitamin B9 (folic acid). Symptoms of a deficiency can include skin problems, photosensitivity, intestinal complaints, fatigue, depression, weak defences, cracked and inflamed mouth corners and increased homocysteine levels in the blood.

In the case of a long-term deficiency of this vitamin, the symptoms can extend to anaemia, numbness and tingling in the limbs, scaly rashes, sleep disorders, nervous system dysfunction, cramps and tremors [1].

What causes a vitamin B6 deficiency?

Vitamin B6 deficiency is not very widespread, but can be caused by an undersupply due to an unbalanced diet or not eating meat, an increased requirement or taking medication. A deficiency here is often accompanied by a lack of other B vitamins.

In women, the cause of a deficiency can be the use of the contraceptive pill. Other medications, such as drugs for epilepsy or asthma, can also have an impact on vitamin B6 utilisation. Older people, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are considered a risk group. Alcoholics, who have a limited ability to produce pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP), are also frequently affected [1].

Certain diseases can also be the cause of a pyridoxine deficiency, as they impair the absorption of the vitamin [2]:

Kidney disease
Autoimmune intestinal diseases such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
Autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
Alcoholism

Which foods are high in vitamin B6?

Natural sources of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can be found in foods such as chicken and beef meat as well as chicken, beef, pork and veal liver. Fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, halibut and tuna) is also a good source of pyridoxine, as are walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, avocados, bananas, papayas, oranges and melons. Vegetables also contain pyridoxine, such as carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweetcorn, red peppers and dark leafy vegetables. Including chickpeas and wholegrain cereals in the diet can also boost the metabolism and help the body combat a vitamin B6 deficiency.

Can the body store vitamin B6?

Like all B vitamins, this is also water-soluble and therefore cannot be stored by the body. A regular supply of this vitamin should therefore not be neglected, whether through food or dietary supplements. To avoid any symptoms, the recommendation of the German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.) is a good guide.

How high is the daily requirement for vitamin B6? has determined the daily requirement for pyridoxine as follows [3]:

Infants up to 4 months: 0.1 mg
Infants up to 12 months: 0.3 mg
Children 1 to 4 years: 0.6 mg
Children 4 to 7 years: 0.7 mg
Children 7 to 10 years: 1.0 mg
Children 10 to 13 years: 1.2 mg
Adolescents 13 to 15 years (m / f): 1.5 / 1.4 mg
Adolescents 15 years and older and adults (m / f): 1.6 / 1.4 mg
Pregnant women in 1st trimester: 1.5 mg
Pregnant women in 1st trimester: 1.5 mg
Pregnant women in 1st trimester: 1.5 mg
Pregnant women in 1st trimester: 1.5 mg
Pregnant women in 1st trimester: 1.5 mg. Pregnant women in the 1st trimester: 1.5 mg
Pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester: 1.8 mg
Breastfeeding women: 1.6 mg

Of course, individual requirements may differ from this recommendation and may be higher.

When and how is it best to take vitamin B6?

As this group of vitamins is water-soluble, supplements containing B vitamins can be taken independently of meals. The time of day of intake is also irrelevant here.

How does a vitamin B6 overdose occur?

It is unlikely that an overdose of vitamin B6 can be achieved through food intake alone, as the vitamin is water-soluble and therefore unused amounts are excreted in the urine [2].

The cause of vitamin B6 intoxication can, however, be the long-term intake of high-dose supplements.

For example, carpal tunnel syndrome and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are treated with high-dose B6 supplements [4]. The symptoms usually subside once the supplements are discontinued.

You can find more interesting articles on this topic here:

About vitamin B1

About vitamin B12 in a vegan diet

About vitamin B in genera l

Sources:
[1] https://vitaminforschung.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Wissenswertes/Informationsblaetter/Informationsblatt_Vitamin_B6_Pyridoxin.pdf
[2] https://www.hsph.harvard. edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b6/
[3] https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/vitamin-b6/
[4] https://www.msdmanuals.com/de-de/heim/ernährungsstörungen/vitamine/vitamin-b6-überschuss