The essential B vitamin for health and mental health
Vitamin B6 | The essential B vitamin for health and mental health
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. Vitamin B6 is one of the B vitamins and is an essential nutrient. Vitamin B6 is the generic name of six compounds (vitamers) with vitamin B6 activity. Pyridoxal 5’ phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5' phosphate (PMP) are the active coenzyme forms of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is vital in regulating our metabolism, and it is also essential in maintaining our mental health and our healthy immune system.
The six Vitamin B6 vitamers
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, one of the B vitamins.
The vitamin comprises a group of six chemically related compounds, also called vitamers; all of the vitamers contain a pyridine ring as their core.
The six vitamin B6 vitamers are:
Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and their respective phosphorylated derivatives pyridoxine 5'-phosphate, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate.
Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) has the highest biological activity, but the others are convertible to that form. Vitamin B6 is a co-factor in more than 100 cellular reactions, primarily involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism, and other physiological functions.
In natural products, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, substantial proportions of the naturally occurring pyridoxine exists in glycosylated forms, which exhibit reduced bioavailability of vitamin B6 in the human body.
The body needs vitamin B6 for more than one hundred enzyme-catalyzed reactions involved in metabolism, including the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; maintaining normal levels of homocysteine; and supporting immune function and brain health.
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the body when proteins are broken down; a high level of homocysteine is a factor that may cause heart problems.
Vitamin B6 helps produce hemoglobin; vitamin B6 also helps produce antibodies that fight against infection. In addition, vitamin B6 is also vital in making amino acids and protein components to make body cells. For example, vitamin B6 helps make niacin-vitamin B3. Furthermore, vitamin B6 plays a role in cognitive development and supports the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters. In addition, vitamin B6 plays an antioxidant role by counteracting the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Vitamin B6 | the Nutritional Food Sources
Vitamin B6 is found in various foods. The richest sources of vitamin B6 include fish, beef liver and other organ meats, fortified cereals, poultry, meat, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables.
You can try cooking with microwave cooking; more vitamins are retained than in most other cooking methods. Short cooking time, covered cooking, and little or no cooking water contribute to retaining more water-soluble vitamins in foods.
Vitamin B6 is found in various foods. The richest sources of vitamin B6 include fish, beef liver, other animal organ meats, fortified cereals, poultry, meat, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables.
You can try cooking with microwave cooking; more vitamins are retained than in most other cooking methods. Short cooking time, covered cooking, and little or no cooking water contribute to retaining more water-soluble vitamins in foods.
Top vitamin B6 foods
Chickpeas
Beef liver
Tuna
Salmon
Chicken breast
Potatoes
Turkey
Banana
Beef
Cottage cheese
Squash
Breakfast cereals fortified with 25% of the daily value for vitamin B6 are excellent nutritional food providing vitamin B6. However, reading the product's nutrition fact label would be best before you make a purchase choice.
Enriched and Fortified:
What do "enriched" and "fortified" mean?
"Enriched": what does "enriched" mean?
Here, we would like to explain the term “enriched”:
"Enriched" means food with added nutrients to replace the same nutrients lost in processing.
For example, niacin was lost during the various grains processing and added to the manufactured grain products. Therefore, there are niacin-enriched flour and other grain products.
"Fortified": What does "fortified" mean?
"fortified" means a food to which nutrients are added that were not present originally or nutrients are added that increase the amount already present.
Recommended Amounts of Vitamin B6:
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin B6 for males 14 to 50 years old is 1.3 milligrams daily, and for males aged 51 and older, the RDA is 1.7 milligrams daily.
For females aged 14 to 18, the RDA of vitamin B6 is 1.2 milligrams daily; for females 19 to 50, the RDA is 1.3 milligrams daily; and for females 51 and older, the RDA is 1.5 milligrams daily.
For 14 to 50 years old women in pregnancy, the RDA of vitamin B6 is 1.9 milligrams daily; for 14 to 50 years old women in lactation, the RDA is 2.0 milligrams daily.
There are health risks from excessive vitamin B6. The established ULs for vitamin B6 apply to both food and supplement intakes. The tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamin B6 are the following: The UL for ages fourteen through eighteen is 80 milligrams a day; for nineteen and older, the UL is 100 milligrams daily. The UL for females (14-18 years old) in pregnancy or lactation is 80 milligrams; the UL for women (19 to 50 years old) in pregnancy or lactation is 100 milligrams.
These UL levels do not apply to people taking vitamin B6 for medical reasons under a doctor's care.
Note: ULs for vitamin B6 were set with different values by the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Reference: EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens), Turck, D, Bohn, T, Castenmiller, J, de Henauw, et al. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin B6. EFSA Journal 2023; 21(5): 8006, 110 pp.
Definitions:
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
What is RDA? RDA means Recommended Dietary Allowance; RDA is the daily nutritional sufficient nutrient level. RDA is the dietary intake value representing what you must take daily. RDA is the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals.
Tolerable Upper Intake Leve (UL):
What is UL? UL means the tolerable upper intake level. This means the highest average daily nutrient intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in a given life stage and gender group.
Recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for vitamin B6
Tolerable upper intakes levels (ULs) for vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 and Healthful Diets
Our nutritional needs should be met primarily through foods because foods provide various nutrients and other healthy components. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other nutrients that are beneficial for our health. In some situations and cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are helpful when it is impossible to meet the needs for one or more nutrients.
A healthy dietary pattern was described by “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans” as one that:
Includes a variety of vegetables; fruits; grains, and whole grains; milk, yogurt, cheese; and oils. Many vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are good sources of vitamin B6. Some ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin B6.
Includes various protein foods, such as lean meats; poultry; eggs; seafood; beans, peas, lentils; nuts and seeds; and soy products. Beef liver, chickpeas, tuna and salmon, chicken, and turkey contain high amounts of vitamin B6. Beans and nuts also contain vitamin B6.
Limits foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
Limits alcoholic beverages.
Stays within your daily calorie needs.
References:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/#en4, Updated: June 16, 2023
Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements (2006), ISBN 978-0-309-10091-5 | DOI 10.17226/11537
Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998.
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