Vitamin B6 - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

Vitamin B6, is known as pyridoxine and performs as a coenzyme to carry out metabolic processes that affect the body’s use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. It also helps to convert tryptophan to niacin,and may be found in meat, fish, eggs, milk, and whole grain foods. It work closely together to control blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine. Vitamin B6 is essential for normal brain development and function, participating in the process of making important brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 has a number of important functions and benefits. For example it:

• Necessary for production of red blood cells and antibodies which fight disease.
• It is used to treat depression.
• Vitamin B-6 plays a role in the synthesis of antibodies by the immune system.
• Vitamin B-6 helps maintain normal nerve function.

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B6

• For men, the usual dose of Vitamin B6 is 2 mg.
• For women, the usual dose of Vitamin B6 is 1.6 mg.
• For Pregnant women, the usual dose of Vitamin B6 is 2.2 mg.

Food sources of Vitamin B6

• carrots
• chicken
• eggs
• fish
• peas
• spinach
• sunflower seeds
• walnuts
• wheat germ
• avocado
• bananas
• beans
• blackstrap molasses
• broccoli
• brown rice
• cabbage
• cantaloupe
• plantains
• potatoes
• rice bran
• soybeans
• catnip

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B6

• weakness
• kidney stones
• mental confusion
• tongue discoloration
• irritability
• skin lesions
• anemia
• nervousness
• inability to sleep
• hyperactivity