Vitamin B6
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B6
Office of Dietary Supplements • NIH Clinical Center • National Institutes
of Health
Vitamin B6: What is it?
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in three major chemical
forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine [1,2]. It performs a wide
variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health.
For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in
protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism.
The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently,
[3-6] and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino
acid) to niacin (a vitamin) [1,7].
Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body
needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the
amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result
in a form of anemia [1] that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.
An immune response is a broad term that describes a variety of biochemical
changes that occur in an effort to fight off infections. Calories,
protein, vitamins, and minerals are important to your immune defenses
because they promote the growth of white blood cells that directly fight
infections. Vitamin B6, through its involvement in protein metabolism and
cellular growth, is important to the immune system. It helps maintain the
health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your
white blood cells. Animal studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can
decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response [1,5].
Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal
range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin B6 to help
convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain
normal blood sugar levels. While a shortage of vitamin B6 will limit these
functions, supplements of this vitamin do not enhance them in
well-nourished individuals [1,8-10].
What foods provide vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified
cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables
Selected Fruits & Vegetables Compared by Vitamin B6
Content
Source and more info at
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets
from the Office
of Dietary Supplements
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