Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is also called pyridoxine.  B6 is a part of Vitamin B complex which is water-soluble and is necessary for body health. Pyridoxine is vital for maintaining hormonal balance in women, in enhancing the immune system and the growth of new cells.  It is also a factor in the processing and metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at the same time controlling your mood and behavior.  Pyridoxine also helps children with learning difficulties and helps in preventing dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.  It helps in balancing sodium and potassium also aids in production of red blood cell. It is involved with the nucleic acids RNA and DNA. And it is associated with cancer immunity and combats the formation of toxic chemical homocysteine which is harmful to the heart muscle.

Lack of Vitamin B6’s pyridoxine in women could result to results in mood swings, depression and loss of sexual drive when the person is on hormone replacement therapy or taking birth control pills.  Symptoms noticed particularly in women include suffering from pre-menstrual fluid retention, severe period pains, emotional PMS symptoms, premenstrual ace and nausea in early pregnancy. 

General symptoms in Vitamin B6 deficiency include irritability, nervousness, insomnia, general weakness, skin changes such as dermatitis and acne, asthma and allergies.  There are also noticeable ridged in nails, inflamed tongue and changed to the bones including osteoporosis and arthritis.  Kidney stones may possibly appear.  Lack of Vitamin B6 has similar symptoms to those of B2 and B3 deficiency.  Vitamin B6 is a necessary ingredient so the body can manufacture its own vitamin B3.

The minimum dosage for Vitamin B6 is 2 mg for males and females per day. This is only the least dosage required by the body in order to prevent deficiency of Vitamin B6. If B6 is used for therapeutic purposes, the dosage should be increased without going beyond the maximum level or in overdose to prevent toxicity.

Excessive dosage of Vitamin B6 which means in excess of 2,000 mg per day could possibly result in neurological damage. Persons taking medication for Parkinson’s disease should exercise caution in taking Vitamin B6 since it can inactivate levo-dopa.  People who take B6 right before bedtime sometimes usually experience very vivid dreams. 

The pyridoxine content in Vitamin B6 is best taken with the entire B complex vitamins.  The quantity of B6 taken should be nearly the same as B2 because B2 is needed to activate the pyridoxine content in Vitamin B6.  Vitamin C also enhances the effect of B6.  Magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, linoleic acid and fatty acids also promote effectives of vitamin B6. 

If you are taking antidepressants, contraceptive pills or in hormone replacement therapy, you should take more of B6.  This vitamin is lost in urine and should be taken regular in order to maintain adequate amount in the body.  Those with very high protein diet or using alcohol or allergic to mono sodium glutamate (MSG) and/or tartrazine should take more of B6. 

Pyridoxine content of Vitamin B6 is sensitive to sunlight; cooking and processing Cortison can impede pyridoxine absorption.  Exercising may help the production of B6 active form.  Food rich in Vitamin B6 include: brewer’s yeast, eggs, chicken, carrots, fish, liver, kidneys, peas, wheat germ and walnuts.