Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Why vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is good for you

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is required to convert carbohydrates from the form they are stored, into the form that can be used for energy. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is also needed to turn the proteins that are eaten (ie amino acids) into the proteins the body can use.

Types of proteins the body needs are things like haemoglobin (this is what carries oxygen in the red blood cells), hormones, neurotransmitters, prostaglandins (hormone-type substances) and enzymes.

Important vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) facts

• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is lost through the milling of grains to make them white. To compensate, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and other B vitamins are added back to flour, cornmeal and other grain products
• Wholewheat grains still contain all the vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) intact
• Up to 70% of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is lost through freezing
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) dissolves in water, so cook foods in as little water as possible, and try to use the liquid – don’t throw it away
• Good levels of magnesium are required (at least the RDI) to enable vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to work effectively in the body. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is also helped by vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin C and selenium
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is required to activate Vitamin B6, so if supplements are taken the quantity of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) should be nearly exactly the same as the amount of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) works best with

• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B5
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Essential Fatty Acids
• Linoleic acid

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and health

• Immune booster – while all the B vitamins are needed to ensure the immune system works properly, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is the key. Without it, the body cannot make the special infection-fighting antibodies that fight illness. People with low immunity – alcoholics, the elderly, people with various illness usually have low vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) levels
• Asthma – some people with asthma benefit from taking vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements, possible because their bodies don’t use it properly to start with. Extra vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may take their levels closer to normal, which cuts back on wheezing and reduces the number of asthmatic attacks
• Preventing diabetic complications – people with diabetes sometimes get diabetic neuropathy – a painful nerve condition. The symptoms are very similar to vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency – and many diabetics are low on vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). A connection? Some researchers believe so
• PMS relief – some studies show that vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) helps with PMS symptoms, yet other studies show that it does nothing. Some studies have shown that women have found relief from taking 50mg of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) in the days before a period
• Cancer drug toxicity – the nasty side effects of some cancer drugs are often reduced by vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplementation
• Kidney stones – people with the calcium oxalate type of kidney stones may find that kidney stones recurrence is prevented by vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium supplements
• Depression – people with depression may have low levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and supplementation may help. Depressed people with normal vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) levels are not helped by vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplementation
• Morning sickness – a small daily dose of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) seems to work for some women to give them relief from the symptoms of morning sickness Studies show that many women report that their symptoms of morning sickness is relieved through vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplementation.

Current research

• Melanoma – vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)may help stop the growth of melanoma – a very dangerous type of skin cancer. This is an exciting new development, because melanoma is hard to treat. This treatment is still in the experimental stage
• Infertility and cancer – current research is working out if vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can help some forms of infertility and cancer

Talk to a medical professional about vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements before taking them.

Groups at risk of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency

• Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers – much of the nutrients eaten are passed onto the child and extra may be needed each day to top up supplies of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Strict vegetarians or vegans – milk and dairy products contain very little vitamin B6 (pyridoxine); most fruit and vegetables have little or no vitamin B6 (pyridoxine); the only non-meat sources of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are nuts and whole grains. People who eat a vegetarian diet and do not include any (or much) meat and meat products, may be at risk of deficiency
• Women taking contraceptive pills – these drugs can interfere with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) absorption, so supplementation may be required
• Alcoholics – absorb less of some of the B vitamins and may not eat properly
• Smokers – tobacco blocks the body’s usage of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• People taking certain prescription drugs – some drugs make vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) get excreted very quickly out of the body through the urine especially

Talk to a medical professional about vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements before taking them.

Symptoms of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency

• Getting ill more often – the immune system is compromised somewhat by deficiency in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Anaemia – the cells are not carrying enough oxygen in people with anaemia and therefore are not working properly

Talk to a medical professional about vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements before taking them.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)in food

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) recommended daily intake (RDI)

The tolerable upper limits should only be taken for short periods and only under medical supervision.

* The tolerable upper limit for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) for infants aged 0-12 months has not yet been determined due to a lack of data about the adverse effects in this age group. The only source of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) intake should be from food (breast milk and/or baby formula).

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Be very careful when taking vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements – this is one of the few water-soluble vitamins that you can actually overdose on!

Too much vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can cause the following neurological problems:

• numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
• trouble walking

The symptoms usually go away once supplementation with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is reduced or even ceased, but sometimes, they can be permanent!

Precautions

• Large doses of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can make the drug Phentoin (Dilantin – which helps control epilepsy), break down too quickly in the body

Interactions

References

• Bendich A. The potential for dietary supplements to reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19(1):3-12
• Bernstein AL. Vitamin B6 in clinical neurology. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1990, Vol 585, Issue 1 250-260
• Doll H, Brown S, Thruston A, Vessey M. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and the premenstrual syndrome: a randomized crossover trial. J R College General Practice, 1989 Sep;39(326):364-8
• Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Pantothenic acid. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 1998:357-373
• Lumeng L, Li T-K. Vitamin B6 Metabolism in Chronic Alcohol Abuse. J Clin Invest. 1974 March; 53(3): 693–704
• Naurath HJ, et al. Effects of vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin B6 supplements in elderly people with normal serum vitamin concentrations. Lancet, 1995 Jul 8;346(8967):85-9
• Office of Dietary Supplements USA – has the official USA RDI for all vitamins (these are also adopted by Australia), accessed 9 August 2005
• Osiecki, Henry, The Nutrient Bible 2002, BioConcepts Publishing
• Robinson K, et al. Low Circulating Folate and Vitamin B6 Concentrations: Risk Factors for Stroke, Peripheral Vascular Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease. Circulation. 1998;97:437-443
• Wyatt KM, Dimmock PW, Jones PW, et al. Efficacy of vitamin B-6 in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: systematic review. BMJ 5-22-1999;318(7195):1375-1381

Last reviewed and updated: 9 May 2024