Why should I take B6?

Vitamin B6 is one of the eight B vitamins needed for your body to stay healthy. Did you know that 200 chemical reactions occur in your body and B6 plays an essential role in this process.

Important for:

• Immune System
• Normal Brain Development
• Nervous System

Where can I find Vitamin B6?

Of course, you can purchase the supplement from us or another lab but, you can also find it in different types of food! Some examples are chickpeas, poultry, and fish. Some more exact foods are listed below.

• Banana
• Prunes
• Avocado
• Pork Loin
• Halibut
• Skinless Chicken breast
• Sweet Red Peppers

What conditions does Vitamin B6 treat? 

• Stroke/ Heart & Blood vessel disease: when the B6 supplement is taken with B9 and B12 this prevents conditions like this from happening by reducing the levels of amino acids in the blood.
• Sideroblastic anemia
• Morning Sickness
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Deficient in Vitamin B6? 

When you are Vitamin B6 deficient this can cause issue such as not having enough healthy red blood cells in your body to carry oxygen to the tissues. Which later causes confusion, weak immune system and even depression.

Signs and Symptoms:

• Rashes: B6 helps to synthesize collagen which is needed for healthy skin.
• Cracked/Sore Lips
• Mood Changes: B6 makes several neurotransmitters (i.e. Serotonin and GABA) that help with anxiety, depression, and feelings of pain.
• Weak Immune function: low B6 results in a decreased production of antibodies that are needed to fight off infections.
• Seizures: without B6 your body is not able to create GABA in the right amount which causes your brain to overstimulate.
• Tired/Low energy: B6 helps to create hemoglobin and when that is low it is due to cells not getting enough oxygen.
• Sore/Glossy Tongue
• High Homocysteine: B6 processes homocysteine which in return protects you from the risk of heart disease or stroke.
• Pain/Tingling in hands or feet: low B6 can cause nerve damage.
  

Interactions with other medications:

Altretamine- reduces effectiveness

Levodopa- reduces effectiveness

Anticonvulsants- decreases the drugs duration and intensity

Barbiturates- decreases the drugs duration and intensity

Always check with Dr. Nickels or your provider before starting something new.

Till next time, Stay healthy

Dr. Nickels

CITATIONS:

Vitamin B6: Fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/. Accessed Jan. 9, 2021.

McCulloch, M. (2023) 9 signs and symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b6-deficiency-symptoms#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4 (Accessed: 13 October 2023).

Pyridoxine oral. Facts & Comparisons eAnswers. https://www.wolterskluwercdi.com/facts-comparisons-online/. Accessed Jan. 9, 2021.

Pyridoxine. IBM Micromedex. https://www.micromedexsolutions.com. Accessed Jan. 9, 2021.

Vitamin B6. Natural Medicines. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. Accessed Jan. 9, 2021.