What is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6 is one of the essential B vitamins that plays a crucial role in the body. It is also known as pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 is water-soluble and important for many bodily functions, including the metabolism of amino acids, the production of red blood cells, and the regulation of hormones.

How does it work?

Vitamin B6 is involved in various metabolic processes, including protein metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and the formation of red blood cells. It also helps regulate hormones and supports the immune system.

What is the active ingredient or ingredients that makes it work?

The active ingredient in vitamin B6 is pyridoxine.

What if I have an imbalance or deficiency?

A deficiency in vitamin B6 can lead to anemia, skin rashes, depression, confusion, and nerve damage. An imbalance can also result in neurological symptoms, including tingling and numbness.

What forms does it come in?

Vitamin B6 is available in supplement form, including tablets, capsules, and liquids. It can also be found in food sources, such as meats, poultry, fish, and whole grains.

When was it first used for medicinal purposes?

Vitamin B6 was first recognized as a nutrient in the 1930s, and its medicinal properties have been studied since the 1940s.

What does Vitamin B6 help with?

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin found in food and in supplements. One common supplement form is P5P, the active form. People take it for period symptoms, pregnancy nausea, mood, and low energy.

• Morning sickness in early pregnancy
  Strong evidence — repeated human trials; listed as a first-line choice by obstetric groups in the US and Canada (trial sizes not held in this file). Obstetric groups in the US and Canada name B6 as a first-line option for nausea in pregnancy. In trials, B6 on its own lowered how bad the nausea felt and cut the number of vomiting episodes. It is also sold with doxylamine as a prescription product.
  Evidence grade A
• High homocysteine on a blood test
  Good evidence — consistent human supplement trials measuring blood levels; sizes and doses not held in this file. Homocysteine is an amino acid that can build up in the blood. In human studies, B6 lowered raised levels, and it worked best taken with folate (B9) and B12. High homocysteine is linked with heart disease and memory loss, but that link is a separate question.
  Evidence grade B
• PMS: mood swings, bloating, sore breasts
  Good evidence — one of the most studied natural options for PMS in human trials; sizes and doses not held in this file. In trials, women taking B6 reported fewer mood swings and less irritability. They also reported less bloating and less breast soreness. B6 is well established to help the body make serotonin and dopamine, which dip before a period, but that is general nutrition science rather than proof for PMS.
  Evidence grade B
• A rare anemia that responds to B6
  Early evidence — clinical reports in one specific, uncommon anemia; no randomised trial on file. One rare type of anemia is called sideroblastic, or B6-responsive. In it, the body cannot use iron well without enough B6. Clinical reports describe B6 restoring the enzyme step needed to make hemoglobin.
  Evidence grade C
• Feeling anxious, flat or emotionally off
  Early evidence — small human studies, mostly in people who were low in B6 or under high stress. Studies found less anxiety and better mood in people taking B6, often as P5P. The clearest reports came from people who were truly low in B6 or under heavy stress. B6 is well established to be needed to make serotonin, dopamine and GABA, though that is nutrition science, not a trial result.
  Evidence grade C
• Weak immune defences, mainly in older adults
  Early evidence — studies in older adults measuring blood markers, not rates of illness. B6 is known to be needed to make and mature immune cells, including T-lymphocytes. That is general nutrition science. In studies of older adults, bringing B6 levels back to normal improved immune markers in blood tests.
  Evidence grade C
• Carpal tunnel pain and tingling in the hands
  Evidence doesn't support this — human research results have been mixed. High-dose B6 has long been used for wrist and hand symptoms. Research results have not lined up. People with a blood test showing low B6 were the ones who more often reported better hands and wrists.
  Evidence grade D
• Brain fog and slow thinking
  Evidence doesn't support this — observational links plus reports from correcting a shortage; no strong human trial on file. Low B6 levels have been linked with weaker memory and slower thinking. Those links come mostly from observation, not from trials. Reports describe clearer thinking once a true shortage is fixed.
  Evidence grade D
• Low energy and daily tiredness
  Not yet tested in people — general nutrition science only; no human trial of B6 for tiredness on file. B6 is well established to help the body turn food into energy inside cells. That is textbook nutrition, not a trial of this supplement. This library holds no human trial testing B6 for everyday tiredness.
  Evidence grade insufficient

What Vitamin B6 has not been shown to do

• Better sleep: the file holds no human sleep trial, and reports of vivid dreams or easier sleep onset are anecdotal.
• Fewer heart attacks or strokes: the trials on file measured homocysteine in the blood, not heart events.
• Preventing dementia or age-related memory loss: no trial on file tested that.
• Fewer colds or infections: the studies in older adults measured immune markers in blood, not illness.
• A stand-alone answer for diagnosed depression or an anxiety disorder: the studies leaned on people who were low in B6 or highly stressed.
• A replacement for splints, injections or surgery in carpal tunnel: the human results were mixed.
• An energy lift in people whose B6 levels are already fine: no human trial on file.

How to read this:

Grades describe the strength of the human evidence, not how well it will work for you. A means several matching randomised trials. B means at least one good randomised trial. C means small or early human studies. D means weak or conflicting human results. Insufficient means no human study is on file. This page lists options and reports what studies found. It is not medical advice, and it is not a claim that B6 treats anything. Talk with your own clinician, especially if you are pregnant or taking other medicines.

What can Vitamin B6 help prevent?

• Cardiovascular disease risk (via homocysteine reduction)
• Cognitive decline in older adults (with adequate B-vitamin status)
• Neural tube defects during pregnancy (as part of B-vitamin sufficiency)
• B6-deficiency symptoms: dermatitis, cheilosis, glossitis, peripheral neuropathy

Which foods are rich in it?

• Poultry
• Fish
• Potatoes
• Bananas
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grains

What are possible side effects?

Vitamin B6 is generally well tolerated, but excessive doses can cause nerve damage and other side effects, including:

• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Sensory neuropathy
• Skin reactions

What’s the recommended daily dose?

The recommended daily dose for adults is 1.3-2 mg per day.

How many days does it take to work?

The effects of vitamin B6 supplementation may take several days or weeks to be noticeable.

What time of day is best to take it?

Vitamin B6 can be taken at any time of day, either with or without food.

Is it best to take it with or without food?

Vitamin B6 can be taken with or without food.

Insomnia

• Time it takes to work: approximately 4- 6 weeks
• Daily Dose: 13-18yrs old : 5 mg Frequency; 19-23yrs old: 10mg; 24yrs old and up: 10 mg to 25 mg