Facts on Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Benefits

1. Vitamin B6 Boosts Energy and Fights Disease

Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine) benefits our metabolism. Of the 20 amino acids we receive from our diet, our bodies can manufacture 11 of these because of vitamin B6, which enables the metabolic reactions that our bodies need to make these amino acids. Vitamin B6 also helps to synthesize hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells and produces high energy levels, and aids the production of white blood cells, which are an important part of a healthy immune system.

2. Critical for Infants

The body needs vitamin B6 to make many neurotransmitters, which permit nerve cells to send impulses. Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause symptoms like headaches, depression and confusion. This link between vitamin B6 and neurotransmitters is particularly important for infants who consume commercial baby formula. Heat destroys vitamin B6, so parents must not overheat formula. Inadequate amounts of vitamin B6 in an infant's diet can decrease an infant's ability to make the neurotransmitter GABA, which can cause convulsions in cases of severe deficiency. Follow the manufacturer's directions to warm formula.

3. Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

The most nutrient-dense food sources of vitamin B6 include spinach, broccoli, bananas and brewer's yeast. Muscles store vitamin B6, so meat, fish and poultry are also good sources of the vitamin. We absorb the pyridoxine in animal-based foods more readily than the pyridoxine in produce, so vegetarians must include vitamin B6-rich foods in their diet, such as sunflower seeds, cantaloupe and watermelon.

4. At Risk for Deficiency

Athletes should boost their vitamin B6 intake to account for their increased metabolism of glycogen, which requires vitamin B6. Furthermore, athletes often consume more protein than the general population, which requires vitamin B6 to break down. Excessive alcohol intake increases a person's risk for vitamin B6 deficiency. Alcoholics lose some of their ability to absorb vitamin B6, and liver damage decreases the body's ability to make the active form of vitamin B6.

5. The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Myth

It's a popular health myth that vitamin B6 can cure carpal tunnel syndrome. In this disease, individuals experience hand numbness caused by pinched nerves in the wrist. Ironically, the relief carpal tunnel syndrome patients experience from self-medicating with large doses of vitamin B6 may stem from further nerve damage, not from the healing process. Taking more than 2 grams of vitamin B6 per day can cause permanent nerve damage, which can deaden the tingling that plagues carpal tunnel patients.