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What Is Vitamin B6 Good For In The Body

May Be Useful In Treating Symptoms Of Pms

Vitamin B6 Benefits & The Role It Plays In Your Body | BodyManual

Vitamin B6 has been used to treat symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, including anxiety, depression and irritability.

Researchers suspect that B6 helps with emotional symptoms related to PMS due to its role in creating neurotransmitters that regulate mood.

A three-month study in over 60 premenopausal women found that taking 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily improved PMS symptoms of depression, irritability and tiredness by 69% .

However, women who received a placebo also reported improved PMS symptoms, which suggests that the effectiveness of the vitamin B6 supplement may have been due in part to a placebo effect .

Another small study found that 50 mg of vitamin B6 along with 200 mg of magnesium per day significantly reduced PMS symptoms, including mood swings, irritability and anxiety, over the course of one menstrual cycle .

While these results are promising, theyre limited by small sample size and short duration. More research on the safety and effectiveness of vitamin B6 in improving PMS symptoms is needed before recommendations can be made .

Summary Some research has indicated that high doses of vitamin B6 may be effective at decreasing anxiety and other mood issues associated with PMS due to its role in creating neurotransmitters.

If You’re Pregnant Or Could Get Pregnant

If you’re pregnant, trying for a baby, or could get pregnant, it’s recommended that you take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.

Folic acid supplements need to be taken before you get pregnant, so start taking them before you stop using contraception or if there’s a chance you might get pregnant.

This is to help prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in your baby.

Some women have an increased risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect and are advised to take a higher dose of 5mg of folic acid each day until they’re 12 weeks pregnant.

This is important and unlikely to cause harm, as it’s taken on a short-term basis, but speak to your doctor first.

Get more advice about vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, including who should take a higher dose of folic acid.

Enhances The Health Of Blood Vessels

It regulates the levels of homocysteine in the blood. This is a type of amino acid acquired from consuming protein from sources such as meat. Since high levels of this compound can lead to inflammation and the onset of many heart diseases it is important that you add vitamin B6 to your diet to maintain good levels of homocysteine.

If someone suffers from a vitamin B6 deficiency, then he is likely to have an excess of homocysteine, which can lead to a heart attack in worse cases.

It also maintains good cholesterol and blood pressure levels to prevent many types of heart disorders.

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Where Can I Get Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is readily available in food and supplements. “The best way to ensure we have enough of this vitamin is through a vitamin B6-rich diet,” says Velikova.

Foods high in B6 include:

If someone is unable to consume enough vitamin B6 through their diet, they can consider taking B6 supplements. Velikova says dosage should not exceed 1.4 mg a day for women over 18 and 1.7 mg a day for men over 18.

Wong recommends supplements for older adults, especially if they have a reduced appetite that may mean they are not eating enough B6 rich foods.

Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements, as they can help you determine the right dosage.

Best Vitamin B6 Sources:

Amazing Nutrition Vitamin B6 Dietary Supplement  100 mg ...

Luckily, Vitamin B6 deficiencies are relatively rate due to its abundance in a variety of foods and B6 deficiencies are often accompanied by other B vitamin deficiencies.

Vitamin B6 can be found in high concentrations in:

  • Organ meats
  • Muscle meats including beef, poultry & pork
  • Fruits like avocados, bananas, mangoes, pineapples
  • Potatoes & sweet potatoes
  • Many species of fish

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Thanks for reading!

Until next time be good

~Tyler Woodward

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It Can Be Useful In Lowering Blood Pressure

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests high blood pressure can be lowered through the consumption or supplementation with vitamin B6. One animal study published in Molecular and Cellular Biology found rats suffering from hypertension experienced reduced systolic pressures after supplementing their diets for just six weeks on Vitamin-B6 enriched chow. Meanwhile, another research project conducted by scientists on human adults discovered that those individuals who consumed higher amounts of vitamin B6 were less likely to have high blood pressure.

What Happens If I Have Too Much Vitamin B6

It is highly unlikely to get harmful amounts of vitamin B6 through foods alone. However, taking high doses of vitamin B6 supplements for long periods can have some negative health effects.

Symptoms of toxicity can include muscle weakness, damage to the nerves in feet and hands, and loss of control of body movements and coordination.

Healthy adults, including during pregnancy and lactation, should make sure not to take more than 25 mg of vitamin B6 per day, which is over 15 times the recommended amount.

Before taking vitamin B6 supplements, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian/nutritionist or consult your national dietary guidelines.

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What Happens If You Get Too Much Vitamin B Complex

Youre unlikely to get too much vitamin B complex from your diet. Thats because B complex vitamins are water soluble. That means they arent stored in your body but are excreted in your urine daily.

Youre also unlikely to get too much vitamin B if youre taking any supplementation as directed.

That said, overdose is possible especially if youre taking a supplement without receiving a deficiency diagnosis from your doctor.

Symptoms of a vitamin B complex overdose include:

  • excessive thirst

What Happens If I Consume Too Much Vitamin B6

What is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) good for? Foods High in Vitamin B6.

Taking more than 200mg a day of vitamin B6 for long periods is known to trigger peripheral neuropathy. This can be permanent, so make sure you never consume too much.16

High doses of vitamin B6 can also cause sores on the skin, sensitivity to sunlight, and digestive troubles, including heartburn and nausea.17

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What Happens If I Take Too Much Vitamin B6

When taking a supplement, it’s important not to take too much.

Taking 200mg or more a day of vitamin B6 can lead to a loss of feeling in the arms and legs known as peripheral neuropathy.

This will usually improve once you stop taking the supplements.

But in a few cases when people have taken large amounts of vitamin B6, particularly for more than a few months, the effect can be permanent.

The effect of taking vitamin B6 at doses between 10 and 200 mg is unclear. So there’s not enough evidence to say how long these doses could be taken for safely.

Are Vitamin B6 Supplements Safe

Vitamin B6 is considered safe at doses of 100mg or less a day for adults, which includes the amount from food and supplements. For children, the NIH reports upper limits between 30 – 80mg based on age. Supplementing with doses above the upper limit should only be done under the supervision of a doctor.

B6 or P-5-P is one of the few water-soluble supplements that can result in toxicity when taken at too high a dose. However, most cases of toxicity that have been documented occurred in the setting of long-term use with very high doses, typically 1000mg a day or more. It is not possible to get toxic levels from food sources alone. The most common side-effects of toxic levels of B6 are sensory neuropathy and impaired balance or coordination.

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Vitamin B6 Helps Prevent Anemia

“Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of hemoglobin a protein that supplies the cells with oxygen,” says Lina Velikova, MD, PhD, a clinical immunologist and a medical advisor at Supplements101.

Lower than normal hemoglobin levels is one of the causes of anemia, a condition characterized by low levels of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, so without adequate red blood cells, one can feel weak and fatigued.

Maintaining an adequate intake of vitamin B6 can help prevent anemia.

Vitamin B6 May Treat Seizures In Newborns

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Children diagnosed with pyridoxinedependent epilepsy require between 15 to 500 mg of vitamin B6 a day for life. PDE is a rare, genetic condition that occurs within a few days of being born and is characterized by difficult-to-control seizures. But vitamin B6 can help control the condition.

Pyridoxinedependent epilepsy is rare with only 200 cases reported, and occurs within a few days of being born. It is caused by a mutation in the gene ALDH7A1.

When treated intravenously with 50-100 mg of vitamin B6 also known as pyridoxine the seizures dissipated within minutes. Children diagnosed with PDE receive 15 to 30mg of vitamin B6 a day for life, but may sometimes require up to 500 mg.

A person with these seizures is vitamin B6 dependent, requiring the nutrient in order to keep the condition at bay as traditional anticonvulsants do not work.

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May Help Prevent Cancer

Getting enough vitamin B6 may lower your risk of developing certain types of cancer.

The reason why B6 may help prevent cancer is unclear, but researchers suspect that its related to its ability to fight inflammation that may contribute to cancer and other chronic conditions (

39 ).

More research that includes randomized trials and not merely observational studies is needed to assess the exact role of vitamin B6 in cancer prevention.

Summary Some observational studies suggest a link between adequate dietary intake and blood levels of vitamin B6 and a decreased risk of certain types of cancer, but more research is needed.

Keeps Your Eyes Healthy

Vitamin B6 is also important to keep our eyes healthy. Those who have a vitamin b6 deficiency may find themselves at risk for macular degeneration, which may lead to blindness. This is because vitamin B6 supports the health of our retina and cornea. With healthy levels of this vitamin, we can maintain good vision. Studies have shown that together with other vitamins including folic acid can aid in preventing vision loss from various age-related disorders.

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Are There Any Side Effects Of Vitamin B6

Too much of anything can be bad for you, but it is very hard to accidentally take the amount of B6 required to trigger adverse effects.

Excess B6 is not stored in the body, so there is little risk from taking too much.

One study found that 90% of surplus B6 was eliminated via urine , which suggests your body has an effective mechanism for getting rid of extra.

It is good to be aware of the risks though, even if they are low.

The US National Library of Medicine gives a list of possible side effects for ingesting vitamin B6, which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, headache, tingling, sleepiness, and other side effects.

How Long Do You Need To Take Vitamin B6 To Start Experiencing Its Benefits If Youre Deficient

What Is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)?

As a water-soluble nutrient, vitamin B6 is absorbed quickly, and it doesnt take long before you will start noticing the beneficial effects of this vitamin. While cases of severe deficiency might call for intravenous administration of pyridoxine, symptoms of deficiency of this nutrient usually clear up overnight.

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This Supplement Has Been Used In Connection With The Following Health Conditions:

Used for 3 StarsAnemia2.5 to 25 mg daily for three weeks, then 1.5 to 2.5 mg per day as maintenance therapy Vitamin B6 deficiency can contribute to anemia, supplementing with this vitamin may restore levels and improve symptoms.

Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid are the most common nutritional causes of anemia. Although rare, severe deficiencies of several other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A,vitamin B2,vitamin B6,vitamin C, and copper, can also cause anemia by various mechanisms. Rare genetic disorders can cause anemias that may improve with large amounts of supplements such as vitamin B1.

3 StarsAnemia and Genetic Vitamin B6-Responsive Anemia50 to 200 mg per day Taking vitamin B6 may partially correct sideroblastic anemia, although they must be taken for life.

Sideroblastic anemia refers to a category of anemia featuring a buildup of iron-containing immature red blood cells . One type of sideroblastic anemia is due to a genetic defect in an enzyme that uses vitamin B6 as a cofactor. Vitamin B6 supplements of 50 to 200 mg per day partially correct the anemia, but must be taken for life.

3 Stars10 to 25 mg three times daily In two double-blind trials, supplementation with vitamin B6 significantly reduced the severity of morning sickness.

In two double-blind trials, supplementation with vitamin B6 significantly reduced the severity of morning sickness.

1 Star

Improved Ratio Between Fat And Lean Muscle

The goal of weight loss is to reduce the amount of fat on your body, and to maintain this new, healthy body composition.

B6 was found to have positive effects on many body composition measures .

The researchers in this study found that B6 supplementation preserved weight loss in the legs, and reduced the ratio of fat in the hips and waist.

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Vitamin B6 Deficiency And Recommendation

A deficiency of B6 on its own, is not very common. If there is a shortage, most often it is combined with a lack of other B vitamines. The body can not store big quantities of B vitamines in the body.

This is because all B vitamines are water-soluble and are excreted by urine. Therefore it is important we get a constant daily intake of vitamin B6. Risk groups for a deficiency are alcoholics and elderly.

A lack of vitamin B6 and other B vitamines can cause a lack of energy. Other symptoms of a deficiency are:

  • Confusion
  • Muscle pain
  • Fatigue and tiredness

The recommended daily intake of vitamin B6 is 1.3 mg . If there is a deficiency, a solution can be a vitamin B complex. This will provide you with all the B vitamines to maintain good health and not just vitamine B6.

We hope we: What is the function of Vitamin B6? was useful to you. For more information about vitamin B, read our article on B vitamines or go to our vitamin page.

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What are vitamin B6 benefits the hair ? Elithairtransplant

You should be able to get the amount of niacin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take niacin supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful.

Taking 17mg or less of nicotinic acid supplements a day, or 500mg or less of nicotinamide supplements a day, is unlikely to cause any harm.

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Reduces The Severity Pms Symptoms

Premenstrual syndrome is a collection of symptoms that can occur in women in the days leading up to their period. These symptoms can include breast pain, nausea, cramps, fatigue, headaches, and acne. While the cause of PMS is not fully understood, it is believed that it may be related to changes in hormone levels.

Vitamin B6 is essential for the proper function of many hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. It is proven that this vitamin can help to regulate hormone levels and reduce the severity of PMS symptoms. Some studies have shown that women who take vitamin B6 supplements regularly experience fewer and less severe PMS symptoms than those who do not.

Can I Test My Levels Of B6

If you are concerned that you may have low levels, blood tests are readily available. Serum or blood levels of P-5-P are the best indicator of long-term body stores of vitamin B6.

While the optimal healthy range for B6 has not been definitely determined, those who are at the lower end of the normal range may benefit from increasing B6 intake through diet or supplementation. Typically, those taking supplements have higher levels than the usual reference ranges. However, this does not necessarily indicate toxicity.

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Do You Take Vitamin B6

As you can see, well need a lot more research on vitamin B6 to determine its potential benefits. While its certainly not a miracle drug, vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to many health problems, so its essential to eat a well-balanced diet. If thats something you struggle with, you may benefit from nutrition consulting.

Are you surprised by the importance of vitamin B6 in your body? Its quite fascinating how one vitamin can have such a huge impact on our health. If youve experienced any benefits by adding a vitamin B6 supplement to your diet, be sure to share in the comments below! Dont forget to share this article with your family and friends!

Health Risks From Excessive Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 Benefits

Vitamin b6 toxicity can occur in people who consume an excessive amount. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and increased thirst or urination with flushed skin. Vitamin poisoning may also lead to nerve damage which could progress into more serious side effects like muscle spasms in some cases. However, its very unlikely to happen unless you were consuming more than 10 g of active pyridoxine.

Vitamin B6 can interact with other medications, so make sure youre not taking any medications while supplementing.

Dont overdo it with vitamin B6. Its important to consume the recommended daily allowance of this nutrient because excess can cause serious side effects.

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