| Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | |||||
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- What is vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)?
- Important vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) facts
- Why vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is important
What is vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)?
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble vitamin which is required for a variety of processes in the body. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a component of specific coenzymes.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is required for energy metabolism and for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is also necessary to enable the immune system to work properly - it enables the body to make the proteins required to assist with immunity.
Certain groups of people can become deficient in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) when supplementation may be advised.
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Important vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) facts
- Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine
- Healthy levels of magnesium are required to for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to work properly
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a water soluble vitamin
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is the one water-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body and build up to toxic levels and resulting in health problems
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is required to activate the effects of vitamin b6 (pyridoxine)
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Why vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is important
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is required to promote health and to prevent a variety of health conditions:
- Asthma - studies have shown that children with severe asthma have low blood levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- PMS - some studies have shown that vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) helps with relieving PMS symptoms
- Anaemia - vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplementation positively assists with people who have hereditary sideroblastic anemia
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
- 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
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
- Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
- Dieticians Association of Australia
- Nutrient Reference Values (Australia)
