Function:
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has diverse functions as a coenzyme
for more than one hundred enzymes. It is involved in the
metabolism of amino acids, homocysteine, glycogen, and hemoglobin
formation.
Recommended
Dietary Allowance:
For
men and women 19 to 50 years of age 1.3 mg per day. Over
51 years the RDA for men is 1.7 mg and for women 1.5 mg
per day.
Deficiency:
Deficiency is rarely encountered but is manifest as an oily
skin rash, anemia, depression, confusion, and seizures.
It is usually seen in association with other vitamin deficiencies.
Sources:
Fish,
poultry, red meat, carrots, cabbage, peas, potatoes and
tomatoes are good sources of vitamin B6.
Toxicity
and UL:
Large supplemental doses (200 to 6,000 mg per day) used
to treat carpal tunnel, and premenstrual syndrome, as well
as other conditions, have been associated with impairment
of the nerves in the legs and severe disfigurement of the
skin.
The
UL is 100 mg per day.
Recommendation:
Homocysteine
elevation in the serum is a harbinger of atherosclerotic
disease and increased death rates from all causes. Supplementing
with vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate can lower the level
of homocysteine. Lowering homocysteine in this way has not
been proven to change the risk of developing atherosclerosis
or cause a decrease in death rates. The risk of supplementing
with vitamin B6 at levels below the UL is negligible and
the potential value of lowering homocysteine levels is great.
I recommend
vitamin B6 supplementation of 2 to 25 mg per day.
For
more information visit:
http://osu.orst.edu/dept/lpi/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB6/
