Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine - Why is it essential?
Vitamin B6 is an extremely important vitamin in our body, which is involved as a cofactor in more than 140 biochemical reactions in our cells. It is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein.
Although there are eight different B vitamins, some receive more attention than others. While vitamin B12 is often in the spotlight due to its role in maintaining healthy blood and nerve cells, vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is often overlooked.
Like most B vitamins, B6 is essential, meaning your body cannot synthesize it - you need to obtain this important micronutrient through food.
What is Vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin and belongs to the B-complex vitamins. Vitamin B6 encompasses several terms because it includes six different water-soluble compounds that differ in their chemical structure.
Among these compounds considered as vitamin B6 or with different names are pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal, and their esters of phosphoric acid. The active forms of vitamin B6 are pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine-5-phosphate (PMP). Other forms also have vitamin activity as they can be converted into active forms, PLP or PMP, in the body.
Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine plays an important role in our body
Vitamin B6 is an extremely important vitamin that acts as a coenzyme in more than 140 biochemical reactions in our cells. It is involved in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.
It also plays a role in cognitive development and maintaining normal homocysteine levels. It is crucial for the normal functioning of the immune system and hemoglobin formation.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has also confirmed numerous scientifically substantiated claims regarding this vitamin, which can be used on foods as sufficient sources of this vitamin:
- It plays a role in cysteine synthesis.
- It contributes to the release of energy in metabolism.
- It contributes to the functioning of the nervous system.
- It contributes to homocysteine metabolism.
- It plays a role in protein and glycogen metabolism.
- It contributes to normal psychological functioning.
- It plays a role in red blood cell formation.
- It contributes to the functioning of the immune system.
- It contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue.
- It plays a role in the regulation of hormone activity.
It is clear that vitamin B6 is essential, but what happens when there is a deficiency?
Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Vitamin B6 deficiency is not common in developed countries since it is found in various foods. However, when a deficiency occurs, it can lead to serious consequences.
Deficiency of pyridoxine usually occurs together with deficiencies of other B vitamins, such as B12, and folic acid. In developed countries, vitamin B6 deficiency can occur due to:
- Certain medications.
- Smoking.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Certain diseases such as diabetes, celiac disease, and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.
Vitamin B6 deficiency is also associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and anemia.
Clinical symptoms include depression, nervousness, irritability, and weakened immune response. The most typical or common signs of vitamin B6 deficiency are anemia and neurological disorders.
What are the daily requirements for vitamin B6?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin B6 for healthy adults, according to the latest data from DACH, is 1.6 mg/day for women and 1.4 mg/day for men. As mentioned earlier, these requirements can increase under certain health conditions, such as when taking medication or during illness.
Additionally, the daily requirements slightly increase during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In the first trimester, the recommended daily intake is 1.5 mg/day, in the second and third trimesters, it is 1.8 mg/day, and during breastfeeding, it is 1.6 mg/day.
Can vitamin B6 or pyridoxine overdose? According to the data provided by EFSA, overdosing and associated symptoms can occur with the consumption of 100 mg of vitamin B6 daily. Prolonged excessive intake can lead to neurological disorders and ataxia.
Overdosing on vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is unlikely when following proper usage guidelines and not exceeding the recommended intake of dietary supplements.
Where can we find vitamin B6 in food?
As mentioned earlier, the active form of vitamin B6 is PLP. It is not synthesized in our bodies, so it needs to be obtained through diet. Vitamin B6 is well-represented in food, so deficiencies are rare.
Foods rich in vitamin B6 include grains - such as whole grain flour, corn, brown rice, quinoa... Vitamin B6 can also be found in legumes, nuts, seeds, potatoes, certain herbs, and spices like garlic, curry, and ginger, as well as in meat, meat products, and fish.
Pyridoxine hydrochloride - a form of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements Vitamin B6 is available in dietary
supplements, both in multivitamins and in supplements that also contain other B complex vitamins, as well as in standalone dietary supplements.
In dietary supplements, vitamin B6 is most commonly found in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride. The absorption of dietary supplements is quite similar to that of food. This means that our body also absorbs this form, of pyridoxine hydrochloride, well.
Collagen shot is a concentrated dietary supplement for a youthful appearance and overall well-being. It contains 5000 mg of hydrolyzed fish collagen, 1500 mg of MSM, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and zinc.
Vitamin C + collagen + MSM = a perfect combination? Collagen shot is often simply referred to as Collagen, but the product is much more than just collagen. When formulating the recipe for Collagen shot, we had 3 requirements.
Vitamin B6 - Collagen shot
The product must contain fish collagen with a wide range of molecular peptide sizes, MSM, and vitamin C. Why? Because the combination of these three active ingredients excellently complements the effects of each individual ingredient.
Additionally, we have also added hyaluronic acid, biotin, zinc, and vitamin B6. The efficacy of the product has been confirmed by a clinical study, which demonstrated the synergistic effect of collagen and MSM, meaning their effect on the skin is greater than if both ingredients were taken separately.