Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient required by your body that you should maintain and regulate as much as possible. Since your body does not have the ability to create or store this vitamin on its own, externally consuming it is the only way that you can obtain it.
For this reason, how much of it you should consume is important to know. You can find out more about this below while also learning about the health benefits that it can have on your health.
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Best Foods For Vitamin B6
Before we get into the best foods for Vitamin B6 first we have to discuss what is it and what health benefits it has for us. Let’s get started…
Vitamin B6: What Is It?
Vitamin B6 is also referred to as pyridoxine. It is water soluble and is extremely important when it comes to metabolism, maintaining the health of your cells, promoting brain, eye, cardiovascular, menstrual and mental health.
It is important for you to consume foods rich in vitamin B6 on a daily basis so that your body gets enough to aid these functions. You can do this through various kinds of food as well as by taking supplements.
Vitamin B6: Benefits
Vitamin B6 can have the following benefits on your health.
Mood Regulation
Sufficient intake of vitamin B6 can have a significant impact when it comes to regulating your moods and emotions. This can be attributed to the fact that vitamin B6 can help with the production of neurotransmitters that can then affect your mood.
Some of these include serotonin and dopamine. This can also then help when it comes to disorders like depression since several associations have been found between the two.
However, this association does not necessarily imply treatment or cure or even as a sufficient medication for depression.
Cognitive Health
Another impact that vitamin B6 can have on your mind or brain is by improving its cognition in terms of memory, focus, attention, retention and more. It can also help reduce the rate of decline of your cognitive health which would otherwise proceed quite rapidly as you go on aging.
It can also reduce certain risk factors usually associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia in the elderly, such as that of increased plasma homocysteine levels. It is important to note, however, that this might not completely prevent these disorders from occurring since several other factors are also involved in this case.
Improves Immunity
Your general immunity level is bound to improve as a result of the consumption of vitamin B6. The breakdown of the food and its nutrients inside your body is aided by this vitamin, which can then ensure that all your cells and organs receive the required assistance in performing their functions.
This can then help your body fight against bacteria and viruses while also preventing other major diseases.
Hemoglobin Creation
Vitamin B6 plays an important role in helping your body produce hemoglobin that your cells then require to function properly. In its absence, your body can develop a deficiency that results in a condition called anemia.
Having low levels of vitamin B6 in your body is often connected with low levels of hemoglobin in your body. Adult women, especially if pregnant, are at higher risk of anemia, often requiring vitamin B6 supplementation to promote the production of hemoglobin.
Menstrual Health And Pregnancy
Just as vitamin B6 can help improve hemoglobin levels in pregnant women, it can also have an impact on reducing feelings of vomiting and nausea, ensuring a smoother pregnancy period.
This is particularly noticeable during the earlier months of pregnancy.
It can also promote menstrual health by reducing the severity of cramps while also reducing symptoms such as depression, fatigue and mood swings that commonly take place during the menstruation period.
Eye Health
Your eyes can benefit from vitamin B6 since it can reduce the extent or severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), especially since B6 can play a role in decreasing the homocysteine in your blood.
The risk of other disorders relating to your eyes might also be reduced to a certain extent by vitamin B6.
Reduced Risk Of Cancer
Sufficient levels of vitamin B6 can also lower the risk of developing certain kinds of cancer since the vitamin has anti-inflammatory properties. Complete prevention, however, is not quite possible, especially since there is no conclusive evidence.
Cardiovascular Health
The occurrence of certain heart diseases and high levels of homocysteine in your blood is usually associated. Blood clots, strokes and other chronic heart diseases can often occur when there is this kind of presence in your blood.
Vitamin B6 can help reduce these levels but this does not necessarily imply that this will completely prevent heart diseases from occurring.
Best Foods For Vitamin B6
Foods rich in vitamin B6 that you should incorporate in your meals include:
- Bananas
- Chickpeas
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Beef liver
- Nuts
- Tofu
- Fortified cereals
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Turkey
- Spinach
- Squash
You can try a variety of combinations with these foods.
Vitamin B6: Daily Recommended Dose
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin B6 is 1.3 mg on a daily basis for adults. This should be 1.9 mg for pregnant women and 2 mg for lactating women.
How To Take Vitamin B6
Food intake is one of the best ways to obtain vitamin B6 in a natural way. In case of a deficiency and if pregnant or lactating, however, you will need to take supplements to ensure you are getting enough of it.
Make sure you consult your doctor beforehand if taking supplements.
Vitamin B6: Side Effects
Taking too much vitamin B6 through supplements can lead to the following side effects:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Lack of control when it comes to moving your body
- Nerve damage in certain parts of your body, especially feet and hands
You are unlikely to experience any of these through food alone, and even with supplements, these are only likely to appear if you cross a certain dosage level and continue relying on that dose.
Vitamin B6: Concluding Remarks
Vitamin B6 has various health benefits that include general immunity, hemoglobin production, menstrual health, eye health, cardiovascular health and more. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin B6 through your food or supplements or you might develop a deficiency that might then lead to other issues.
