Vitamin B6 doesn’t really have a recognizable name, unlike some of the other B vitamins. Still, it’s one of the most widely-recognized of the group that make up the Bs.

Did you know there are actually seven different forms of this interesting vitamin? The two most common are:

• pyridoxine (PN): This is what you normally get when you take a B6 supplement.
• pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP): This is the metabolically active form – what some of the others convert to.

Well, let’s just call them all B6, because they ultimately all serve the same purpose in your body.

B6 In Your Body

So what exactly does B6 do for your body? You hear all the time that it’s important to take a B6 supplement, but why?

One of the biggies is that B6 is critical for your red blood cells, which carry hemoglobin through your body — it’s what gets oxygen to all parts of your body. And it’s also essential for getting the most oxygen you can. Without sufficient O2, you can feel tired and weak.

Here’s something interesting — vitamin B6 is used by over 100 different enzymes that are involved with metabolizing protein. What does that mean to you? If you can’t metabolize protein well, you may not be able to build the muscles (and strength) you need.

Your immune system also needs B6, to help fight off infections. How, exactly? Well, another reason you want B6 is because it’s involved with not only metabolizing protein, but also supporting some other vitamins and minerals to promote the increase of white blood cells — the infection fighters.

Vitamin B6 also helps to maintain the health and welfare of other organs associated with the immune system, like the lymph nodes and the thymus, which are also responsible for white blood cell production.

If that wasn’t enough, this fascinating vitamin also helps to balance your blood glucose (blood sugar), to keep it within a normal range. Now the interesting thing here is that it’s most useful when you are on a low-calorie diet. If you’re getting sufficient calories, B6 doesn’t do nearly as much for blood sugar.

B6 Deficiency

Now that you know what B6 does for your body, how do you know that you’re getting enough? Here are some of the possible signs and symptoms of a Vitamin B6 deficiency:

• Dermatitis (skin eruptions, including eczema).
• Conjunctivitis
• Sore tongue
• Anemia
• Mental issues: confusion, depression, seizures.

You may also be at risk if you regularly have more than two alcoholic drinks a day (alcohol tends to destroy B6).

Keep in mind that a B6 deficiency isn’t the only thing that can cause these symptoms, but if you don’t eat a healthy diet to begin with, or take prescription medication that may interfere with B6 — it’s one of the things that need to be checked.

B6 in Foods

Now obviously you can take a supplement to get your daily dose, but what about your foods — which are good sources? Here are some — how many are you eating on a regular basis?

• Lean beef and pork
• Poultry
• Fish (especially fatty cold-water fish like trout and salmon)
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Baked potato with skin
• Bananas
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Avocados

Remember, Vitamin B6 is water-soluble, just like all the other B vitamins. This means that you need some every day because your body doesn’t store it.

Too Much Vitamin B6?

Can you get to much of this vitamin in your diet? And if so, what are the side-effects?

Most side effects come from individuals who think if a little is good, a lot is better and take boatloads of supplements. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 1.3 mg for adult women and 1.6 mg in adult men per day. Side effect have been reported in people who take between 500 mg and 1,000 mg per day on a regular basis. That’s an awful lot — I don’t know any people who want to pop between 200 and 500 capsules a day. Nevertheless, it is possible to take too much, even if you do have to seriously work at it.