As a water-soluble vitamin, B-6 dissolves in water and cannot be stored in the body as fat-soluble vitamins can. Excess B-6 passes out of your body in your urine, meaning you body requires a constant supply of the nutrient. Since the body cannot synthesize B-6 on its own, you must obtain the nutrient through the foods you eat. Diets rich in animal and plant-based foods tend to meet daily recommended intakes for this vitamin.
Functions
As part of the B Complex group of vitamins, B-6 performs several functions essential to good health. Pyridoxal phosphate is the active form of the vitamin and assists with amino acid metabolism and the release of glucose, a sugar used by the body for energy, from the molecule glycogen. Vitamin B-6 also helps make several neurotransmitters and helps control levels of homocysteine in the blood, which can guard against heart disease. Preliminary studies have also seen some links between low levels of B-6 and depression, since B-6 helps form seratonin, a natural anti-depressant, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Low levels of B-6 have also been associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Recommended Intake
How much B-6 you need varies based on age, sex and total daily calories. Children need 0.5 to 1.0 mg of B6 per day. Adult men need 1.3 mg per day, while men over the age of 50 need 1.7 mg. Teen girls need 1.2 mg and day, adult women up to age 50 require 1.3 mg per day. Women over age 50 should have 1.5 mg of B-6 per day. Pregnant or breast feeding women require 1.9 mg and 2.0 mg per day, respectively. Vitamin B-6 deficiency is not common in the United States.
Meat Sources of B-6
Vitamin B-6 is found in high levels in a variety of animal-based foods. One 3-oz. serving of cooked salmon provides 0.48 mg of B-6. A 2 1/2 oz. serving of raw or cooked yellowfin or albacore tuna has between 0.68 and 0.78 mg, while canned tuna in oil has 0.32 mg. A serving of cooked chicken, without the skin, has 0.51 mg. Skinless cooked turkey, light meat, provides 0.39 mg, while dark turkey meat provides 0.99 mg per 2.5 oz. serving. Organ meats supply high amounts of B-6, with 0.76 mg in 2.5 oz. of beef liver and 0.57 to 0.63 mg in a serving of chicken liver.
Plant Sources of B-6
According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, those who follow a restricted vegetarian diet may want to consider taking a B-6 supplement to ensure an adequate amount of the nutrient in their diets. Alternatively, vegetarians and meat eaters alike can add plants foods high in B-6 to their diets. One medium banana contains 0.43 mg of B-6, one medium baked potato with the skin has 0.70 mg and 1 cup of cooked spinach contains 0.44 mg. Additional plant sources of B-6 include vegetable juice cocktail, with 0.26 mg per 6 oz., and hazelnuts, with 0.18 mg per 1-oz. serving. Fortified dry cereals can contain anywhere from 0.5 to 2.5 mg B-6 in a 1-cup serving.
