Vitamin B6 Benefits and Side Effects, Vitamin B6 Deficiency

Vitamin B6 benefits and side effects are quite impressive when examined closely. Vitamin B6 is water-soluble vitamin, not able to be stored by the body, needing to be regularly replenished through the diet to avoid depletion and deficiency symptoms. It plays a part in more body functions than just about any other nutrient.

Effects of Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is important for the metabolism of amino acids, fats carbohydrates and proteins. It aids the formation of red blood cells, antibodies and hydrochloric acid, and plays a role in the immune system.

The effects of vitamin B6 help to balance sodium and potassium in the body, as well as being important for the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. Vitamin B6 is vital for the formation of hormone-like prostaglandin lipids, essential for a multitude body functions including blood vessel and bronchial passage dilation.

Vitamin B6 benefits plays a central role in the manufacture of the feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Vitamin B6 Benefits and Side Effects

Vitamin B6 benefits and side effects are helpful in the treatment of neural disorders such as epilepsy, attention deficit disorder, autism, and nervous tremors. It is also linked to protection from cancer and heart disease.

Preventing dandruff, eczema and psoriasis are also known vitamin B6 benefits and side effects. It is known to be helpful for a wide variety of PMS symptoms in women. Vitamin B6 supplements help prevent eye damage and loss of vision from diabetic retinopathy, by assisting in the metabolism of blood glucose.

Together with vitamin B9 folic acid and vitamin B12, vitamin B6 benefits and side effects can act to reduce levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is linked to heart disease and stroke.

Vitamin B6 Deficiency

Factors that may increase vitamin B6 deficiency include alcohol consumption, high protein diets, and antidepressants.

Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to muscular weakness, anemia, acne, dermatitis and eczema, allergies and asthma, nervousness, irritability and sleep disturbances. Other symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency can be swollen tongue, ridged nails, arthritis, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.

Recommended Vitamin B6 Dosage

Recommended dietary allowance (minimum daily dose to ward off serious deficiency) of vitamin B6 dosage for men is 2 mg and 1.6 mg for women, although 100 mg is commonly used in vitamin supplements. Vitamin B6 overdose supplementation may result in neurological damage.

Food Source of Vitamin B6

Here are examples of where to find a good food source of vitamin B6 and foods high in vitamin B6:

Animal food source of vitamin B6 : Brewer’s yeast, organ meats such as liver, heart and kidney, eggs, chicken, fish, lean meats.

Plant foods high in vitamin B6 : Wholegrain products, whole cereals, brown rice, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, avocados, soy beans, carrots, peas and beans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, bananas, unrefined molasses.

So we now have our list of ingredients which will give us these vitamin B6 benefits and side effects.