Natural Remedies
What are the key health benefits of Vitamin B6, particularly in relation to its role in neurotransmitter synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and support for immune function?
Vitamin B6 is a helper vitamin for a lot of chemical reactions. It is like a catalyst—the thing that allows everything to work. It has an inactive form and an active form. The active form is called pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP). This active version of vitamin B6 is pretty helpful for a lot of internal body processes.
Benefits
Helps with anxiety
Helps with depression
Helps with stress
Helps to control cortisol
Helps to create serotonin
Helps to convert amino acids into glucose
Is a catalyst to make everything work
Involved in many protein reactions
Helps to make blood
Makes GABA (neurotransmitter for pleasure, mood improvements)
Involved in glycogen breakdown
Involved in metabolism
Involved in making neurotransmitters
Symptoms of deficiency
Carpal tunnel syndrome (in pregnancy)
Fluid retention
Sleep problems
Neuropathy
Trigger finger
Fatigue
Dermatitis
Cracks in the corner of your mouth
Sleepiness
Heart attack
Depression
Anxiety
Moodiness
PMS
Red, irritated eyes
Neuropathy
Impaired glucose tolerance
Nausea
Edema
Causes of deficiency
Consuming synthetic version of B6
Pins and needles
Alcohol
Diabetes
Liver problems
Gut problems
Rheumatoid arthritis
Birth control pills
Antibiotics
Steroids
Stress
Inflammation
Birth control pills
Malabsorption
Genetics
Colon problems
Gastric bypass surgery
Birth control pills
How to consume it
If you have a vitamin B6 supplement, follow the directions on the label for the proper dosage. In order to make B6 work, you also need vitamin B2 and zinc (a trace mineral). There are 7 forms of vitamin B6.
You can also take 50 mg of vitamin B6 3x a day to bring your mood right up and for breast tenderness, add iodine in the form of sea kelp.
Where to get it
If you want to get a vitamin B6 supplement, the wrong form would be pyridoxine hydrochloride (HCL). This is a synthetic version of vitamin B6 that has the potential to cause B6 deficiency symptoms. Pyridoxine HCL comes from petroleum, hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde.
The best natural forms of vitamin B6 are:
Pyridoxine (not HCL)
Pyridoxal phosphate
Pyridoxal 5’-phosphate
Food sources of vitamin B6
• Chickpeas
• Pork
• Liver
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Eggs
• Beef
• Vegetables
Last updated: Sep 12, 2024 14:02 PM