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Vitamin B6
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Vitamins are special biologically active substances. And they play a far from unimportant role in our body. Now science knows a large number of these "useful acids", but only thirteen of them are essential for the human body. One of these vitamins is vitamin B6, and what exactly is its importance for each of us, we will now try to find out.
Basic facts about vitamin B6
If you read any scientific treatise, you will hardly guess that pyridoxine, adermine or pyridoxal are terms denoting vitamin B6. You may not even notice that you take this vitamin daily. The fact is that food of animal and plant origin contains a large amount of this biologically active substance in moderate quantities, so there is no particular deficiency in it. But did you know that this vitamin enters our body not only from the outside, but can also be produced by the microflora of our intestines?
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What daily dose of vitamin B6 do we need?
Vitamins are substances that are contained in our body in tiny amounts, and yet they do a great job of doing their job. Therefore, even two milligrams of vitamin B6 are enough for the normal functioning of the body.
Under what conditions does the need for vitamin B6 increase?
There are times when the need for this vitamin can greatly increase. The reason for this can be pregnancy in women or breastfeeding. Neuropsychic stress also puts a lot of strain on the human body, so it requires additional support in the form of increased consumption of vitamin B6. With intense physical exertion, work in the cold, as well as work with radioactive substances or chemicals, it is recommended to increase the amount of products that bring this vitamin to the body. It should also be consumed more if your daily diet consists mainly of protein products.
How well does our body “accept” vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6 is considered one of the most easily absorbed vitamins. It is easily absorbed by the body, and only a lack of magnesium can prevent the normal entry of the vitamin into the human body. Interaction of vitamin B6 with other active substances of the body
The presence of a normal amount of vitamin B6 helps the body absorb vitamin B12, as well as various magnesium compounds.
How does vitamin B6 deficiency manifest itself?
Usually, vitamin B6 deficiency is easy to detect due to external signs that a person shows. This may include dry and rough skin around the eyes or above the eyebrows, vertical cracks on the surface of the lips.
A person suffering from a deficiency of this vitamin is usually very irritable, inhibited, may complain of nausea and poor emotional well-being. If you notice such signs in yourself or someone close to you or familiar with it, consult a doctor. A deficiency of the vitamin in the body, however, as well as an excess, have not yet led to anything good.
The situation is different for pregnant women. Vitamin deficiency is very dangerous for them. Such women are irritable, they are constantly nauseous and may not stop vomiting, they lose their appetite, which will inevitably lead to exhaustion of the body. Their skin becomes inflamed, peels and dries out. With such symptoms, you should immediately contact a doctor, and in no case try to "wait, maybe it will pass."
In infants, vitamin B6 deficiency manifests itself as increased excitability, slow growth and development, and gastrointestinal disorders. Convulsions that resemble epilepsy are considered very dangerous, since the child's treatment may go in a completely wrong direction.
Signs of excess vitamin B6 in the body
An excess of vitamin B6 can occur if you increase the daily dose of the vitamin to 100 milligrams, and this will inevitably lead to decreased sensitivity and numbness of the nerve trunks in the arms and legs.
Factors Affecting the Amount of Vitamin B6 in Foods
If you grind products into flour or heat them, the vitamin B6 content will drop by 25-30%. Freezing products has virtually no effect on the amount of vitamin in them.
What can cause vitamin B6 deficiency in the body?
Typically, factors that reduce the production and absorption of vitamin B6 in the body include radiation sickness, infectious intestinal diseases, and liver disease. Some medications can reduce the production of vitamin B6. These are contraceptives, antibiotics, and drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. Be careful, as a lack of vitamins negatively affects you and can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system.
Among nuts, hazelnuts are quite rich in vitamin B6, and their daily consumption will help maintain vitamin balance. Sweet peppers, pomegranates, and sea buckthorn are products containing 0.5-0.8 mg of adermine.