From producing red blood cells to converting food into fuel to boosting mood and immunity, the potential vitamin B6 benefits and the crucial ways this water-soluble vitamin affects health are unparalleled. It works with a range of other vitamins and minerals in the body to optimise nearly every aspect of health and supports the function of the liver, blood cells, skin, eyes, nervous system, and beyond to keep you feeling your best. Numerous studies confirm that vitamin B6 is vital to the body’s process.
Need a few more reasons why this critical vitamin is essential?
Keep reading for a complete list of vitamin B6 benefits, plus how to get enough of this vital vitamin in the correct dosage in your diet daily from Coffee Ultimo.
What Is Vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is one of the vitamins in the vitamin B complex family. All B vitamins, including vitamin B6, play an essential role in various physical and psychological functions. However, they are most well-known for helping to maintain a healthy metabolism, supporting nerve and liver function, and promoting the health of the skin and eyes.
So what does vitamin B6 do specifically, and why is it important?
Vitamin B6 has several derivatives, including pyridoxal, pyridoxal 5-phosphate (p5p), and pyridoxamine. These are all important compounds involved in numerous biological functions. Vitamin B6 is used by the body every day and plays a significant role in everything from movement to memory to energy expenditure and blood flow.
Vitamin B6 also helps the body maintain a healthy nervous system, produces haemoglobin that carries oxygen in red blood cells throughout the body, aids in providing energy from the food that we eat, works to balance blood sugar levels, acts as a natural painkiller, boosts mood and also enhances immunity by increasing the synthesis of antibodies used to protect the body. (1) However, the potential vitamin B6 benefits don’t stop there. Studies show that vitamin B6 benefits can also maintain healthy blood vessels, reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, prevent kidney stones, and help maximise your health.
Top 11 Vitamin B6 Benefits
1. Maintains Healthy Blood Vessels
Vitamin B6 is needed to regulate levels of a compound called homocysteine within the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid acquired from eating protein sources, especially meat. High levels of homocysteine in the blood have been linked to inflammation and the development of heart disease and blood vessel issues, which may contribute to a heart attack.
Without enough vitamin B6, homocysteine builds up in the body and damages blood vessel linings. This can set the stage for dangerous plaque buildup, leading to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Studies show that total homocysteine concentrations significantly reduce when patients take vitamin B6 and folate. Plus, the homocysteine-lowering effects of vitamin B6 can also help heal the damage done to blood vessels to enhance heart health.
2. Supports Brain Function
Vitamin B6 is often considered a top brain vitamin because it helps promote the proper function and development of the brain and nervous system. Studies have shown that a vitamin B6 deficiency could influence memory and contribute to cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and dementia with advanced age.
One way vitamin B6 impacts brain function is by controlling homocysteine levels, which are not only a risk factor in coronary heart disease but can also cause damage to neurons of the central nervous system.
Vitamin B6 also plays a vital role in producing hormones like serotonin and norepinephrine, which help control mood, energy, and concentration. For example, researchers believe certain behaviour disorders in children, including ADHD, are caused by low serotonin levels. So, increasing PLP concentrations in the blood could potentially help reduce symptoms.
3. May Improve Mood
Much like vitamin B6, some prescription antidepressant medications increase serotonin levels. In addition, research has shown that vitamin B6 significantly impacts the brain’s central production of serotonin and GABA neurotransmitters. These are essential compounds that control mood and are needed to prevent depression, pain, fatigue, and anxiety. Although more research is still needed, some studies suggest that vitamin B6 could favour mood and mental health thanks to its positive effects on these critical neurotransmitters.
4. Helps Treat Anemia
Vitamin B6 is needed to create haemoglobin in the blood, which is transported by red blood cells throughout the body to help bring oxygen to cells and to mobilise iron. Anaemia can occur when someone doesn’t make enough red blood cells, resulting in anaemia symptoms like fatigue, weakness, aches, pains, and more.
Studies show that a deficiency in vitamin B6 could cause microcytic anaemia, a condition characterised by red blood cells that are smaller and paler than usual. Getting more B vitamin foods in your diet or through supplementation can help raise plasma PLP levels and may help treat certain types of anaemia caused by deficiency.
5. Protects Eye Health
In many instances, a poor diet and nutrient deficiencies are the underlying causes of certain eye diseases. However, studies have shown that taking vitamin B6 and other vitamins, including folate, can aid in preventing eye disorders and loss of vision. In particular, vitamin B6 is believed to help slow the onset of certain eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, which is one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide.
6. May Reduce Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Low levels of vitamin B6 have been associated with increased symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, including severe pain. Early studies also find that people with rheumatoid arthritis may be more prone to vitamin B6 deficiency because of the chronic inflammation that sets off symptoms. Vitamin B6 benefits rheumatoid arthritis by suppressing inflammation to help sidestep swelling and reduce common symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Could Help Lower Blood Pressure
Several promising animal studies have found that vitamin B6 could reduce blood pressure to help optimise heart health. For example, one animal model published in Molecular and Cellular Biology showed that supplementation with vitamin B6 helped reduce systolic blood pressure in rats with hypertension. Similarly, another study out of China analysed the diets of 2,241 adults and found that a higher intake of vitamin B6 was associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure.
8. Relieves PMS Symptoms
Consuming plenty of vitamin B6 or taking B complex vitamins can help prevent or treat PMS symptoms. Studies suggest that vitamin B6 helps combat symptoms like breast pain, nausea, cramps, fatigue, and headaches. In addition, the potential vitamin B6 benefits for the skin can even help reduce acne before a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Vitamin B6 helps with PMS because of its positive effects on specific neurotransmitters responsible for pain management in the brain and its ability to increase blood flow and manage hormones. Therefore, it’s recommended for women who experience frequent PMS symptoms to take B vitamins regularly, especially in the ten days before menstruating.
9. Reduces Morning Sickness and Nausea
Studies have found that vitamin B6 benefits pregnancy by relieving the severity of nausea and “morning sickness” that often occur during pregnancy. For example, one study showed that after patients tracked the severity of their nausea over 24 hours before treatment with vitamin B6 and again afterwards, the group who took pyridoxine/vitamin B6 experienced a significant decrease in nausea compared with the placebo group. For this reason, vitamin B6 is one of the active ingredients in Bendectin, a common medication used to treat nausea.
10. Regulates Sleep Cycles
Vitamin B6 helps the body make melatonin, an important hormone that allows us to fall asleep. Melatonin is responsible for regulating the internal clock, helping the body know when it’s time to wake up and also when it’s time to wind down and fall asleep for the night.
11. Prevents Kidney Stones
Some evidence shows that taking vitamin B6 along with other minerals, including magnesium, may be able to prevent or treat kidney stones in specific populations. Vitamin B6 is usually helpful in patients at an increased risk for kidney stones due to other illnesses.
Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Although a deficiency is not very common, studies have linked a vitamin B6 deficiency with an increased risk for various disorders and symptoms.
Over time, some of the vital vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms in adults can include:
- Changes in mood, such as irritability, anxiety, and depression
- Confusion
- Muscle pains
- Mouth sores
- Low energy or fatigue
- Worsening PMS symptoms
- Worsening symptoms of anaemia
Because vitamin B6 is essential for nerve function, a vitamin B6 deficiency is sometimes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, including seizures, migraines, chronic pain, and mood disorders like depression.
Other research shows that vitamin B6 deficiency is more common among older people, with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia increasing with age and decreased vitamin B6 concentrations.
Since they are at a higher risk for having vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms, it’s often recommended that older adults have their vitamin B6 levels tested by their doctors if they begin to lose their appetite, lose weight or suffer from nutrient malabsorption for any reason, as this could indicate a potential B vitamin deficiency.
Others at an increased risk of deficiency include those with impaired kidney function, an autoimmune disease, or alcohol dependence, as many of these issues can impact nutrient absorption.
Supplements and Dosage
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, and extra amounts are excreted through the urine rather than stored in the body. Therefore, it’s imperative to regularly eat foods high in B vitamins or take a supplement (Coffee Ultimo) to meet your daily requirements.
Most adults over 18 need at least 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily to help meet their needs. However, the required vitamin B6 dosage increases for older adults and pregnant women or breastfeeding. For best results, stick to the recommended daily dose in Coffee Ultimo – 1.4mg to avoid unwanted vitamin B6 side effects.
Vitamin B6 and B12
B vitamins like B6 and B12 are essential for many aspects of health, including the body’s conversion of food into usable energy. They also produce red blood cells, nerve function, and hormone synthesis.
However, there are also significant differences that set these essential vitamins apart, and one of the most important differences is how low levels affect health. While a deficiency in vitamin B6 can cause symptoms like fatigue, irritability, and muscle pains, low vitamin B12 can cause issues like anaemia and cognitive impairment. Conversely, consuming very high doses of vitamin B6 through supplementation is also more likely to result in adverse symptoms like nerve damage. In contrast, high amounts of vitamin B12 can generally be consumed with minimal risk of side effects.
History
Believe it or not, the importance of vitamin B6 on health has only come to light within the last century. It wasn’t discovered until 1934 when biochemist Paul György found a substance that was effective at curing skin disease in rats and named it vitamin B6. A few years later, in 1938, nutritionist Samuel Lepkovsky was the first to isolate vitamin B6 from rice bran.
In recent years, scientists have begun learning more about the many different forms of vitamin B6 and how they influence health. For example, derivatives like pyridoxine hydrochloride (HCl) are converted to the active state, pyridoxal phosphate, or PLP.
Research continues to unearth new ways vitamin B6 can impact health, from supporting nerve function to reducing the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia. In addition, numerous studies confirm that vitamin B6 is vital to the body’s process.
Final Thoughts
- Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in various physical and psychological functions.
- There are several different derivatives and forms of B6, such as pyridoxine hydrochloride, which is converted to the active state, pyridoxal phosphate.
- Vitamin B6 is involved in several aspects of health, including metabolism, nerve function, liver health, red blood cell production, and more, and there are many vitamin B6 benefits.
- Getting enough in your diet could help promote heart health, support brain function, improve mood, treat anaemia and reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
- It may also improve eye health, relieve PMS symptoms, reduce morning sickness, prevent kidney stones and regulate the sleep cycle.
- Whether it’s through including more vitamin B6 foods in your diet or taking a B6 supplement to meet your daily needs, getting enough B6 is essential to overall health and wellness thanks to the wealth of vitamin B6 benefits and vital body functions it provides.
