Vitamin B-6
Health Benefits

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Vitamin B-6 Health Benefits

| Modified on Oct 01, 2017
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Effective in treating over 100 different health conditions, vitamin B6 is one of the most highly lauded vitamins available today. The vitamin can be used to treat a variety of physical and psychological conditions ranging from heart disease to depression and kidney stones. There are few ailments that vitamin B6 cannot treat or at least aid in treating.

What Is Vitamin B6?

A part of the vitamin B complex, vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin known as pyridoxal phosphate or PLP in its active form. This vitamin is an element in a variety of metabolic processes including transamination, deamination and decarboxylation. This element is also responsible for the enzyme reaction that converts glycogen to glucose.

Serving such important roles in the body, vitamin B6 is one of the most vital nutrients in the diet. This vitamin can be found in a variety of food sources from meat to vegetables. Fish, beef liver, potatoes, citrus fruits, fortified cereals and poultry are all common sources of the vitamin.

Health Benefits of Pyridoxine

This vitamin is a major factor in treating and preventing a variety of health conditions. In particular, the vitamin prevents the buildup of homocysteine in the body, a compound that damages blood vessel linings and contributes to the buildup of plaque in the circulatory system.

Vitamin B6 deficiency is also responsible for a range of conditions. Individuals who are even marginally deficient in vitamin B6 are more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome, immune deficiencies, depression and sensitivity to monosodium glutamate.

An adequate amount of the vitamin also helps prevent a number of conditions. Paired with magnesium, pyridoxine can help prevent kidney stones. The vitamin also serves as a cure for premenstrual syndrome and its many symptoms. Vitamin B6 is also effective in treating asthma, headaches, anxiety, nausea, vomiting and a variety of other conditions.

While vitamin B6 occurs naturally in several foods, many individuals still do not get an adequate amount of the vitamin daily. A supplement can help individuals boost their intake of the vitamin and get an appropriate amount of one of the most important vitamins in a healthy diet.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Acne

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Posted by Penelope (Boston, Ma) on 10/24/2009
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The most incredible supplements I have ever tried for acne are L-Glutathione (500 milligrams up to 3 times a day) and vitamin B6 (ONLY get the P5P form. The other form can cause neuropathy). Split a 50 milligram pill of vitamin B6 (P5P) up and take a few times a day. I would ask your doctor about going up to as high as 100 milligrams of P5P if you really need that much to keep your skin clear. My skin is completely clear as long as I take the B6 or the L-Glutathione. I do not need to take both of these supplements together to have clear skin, - both have worked separately equally as well to clear my skin in record time (about a week to see results) but test it out and see what works for you - both have amazing health benefits. I have noticed that L-Glutathione has the added benefit of also making my hair really shiny and healthy looking.

Both vitamin B6 and L-Glutathione are potent detoxifiers of the liver so go up to the dose you need VERY slowly! If you break out initially, bear with it - this is just a detox/cleansing reaction.

Try opening a capsule of vitamin B6 (P5P) and take a third of it - or half of it - and see how you do Same goes with the L-Glutathione pills or powder . You can take the same dosage up to 3 times a day. Definitely take the B6 with food because it can make you nauseous. Also, the B6 (P5P) could keep you up by giving you energy if you take it late at night.

Topically, Jojoba oil is great for acne. It moisturizes without clogging pores. I wear it all over my face and neck at night. It is the only moisturizer that does not break me out!

I have suffered with severe cystic acne and was on 3 courses of Accutane so I know what it's like to suffer with acne. With either of these supplements, thankfully I don't have to suffer anymore. I hope this info helps anyone out there who is struggling with acne.

B-6 Side Effects

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Posted by Rawan (Abu Dhabi, Uae) on 11/16/2009

Hi everyone! Today for no reason I tried vit. B6- 50mg in the morning, then I felt like fatigue and sleepy. Is it normal?

Replied by Sven
(Miami Beach, Fl)
02/08/2011

Yes, it's normal. Your body needs adequate B6 in order to produce serotonin which is required for the sleep-triggering hormone called melatonin.

B6 Feedback

Posted by Peter (Chicago, IL) on 09/21/2009

Joyce, is there such a thing B6 with 100% Pyridonine Phosphate (Ted 's preferred B6)?

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
09/21/2009
490 posts

In most multivitamin/mineral tablets you will find the form used of B6 as pyridoxine Hydrochloride and this is also the form commonly used to treat B6 deficiency.

Not finding my old pharmacology textbook, I went on line looking for your answer. There is a pyridoxine5'phosphate form of it but I could not pull up pyridonine phosphate so I wonder if this isn't just a typo and the first n in pyridonine should have been an x instead of an n. However I am sure that pure pyridoxine is available to pharmaceuticals, or else they couldn't come up with pyridoxine HCl or pyridoxine phosphate.

If I turn up anything else on it will send the message on.

Replied by Peter
(Chicago, Il)
09/22/2009

Joyce,

This is what I found on Ted's old post regarding B6. B6, it should be pyridoxine phosphate, he mentioned other type of B6 causes heartburn. Thanks for checking it for me.

Peter

From Ted's old post:

Vitamin B complex, in the form of B50, or B100, where most vitamin Bs are 100 mg each. And initially can be taken every other day. However, the form of vitamin Bs I prefer is in a B1, it should be thiamine mononitrate, not thiamine hydrochloride. In a B3 niacinamide, not niacin. In a B6, it should be pyridoxine phosphate, not pyridoxine hydrochloride. Most of the B's such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B8 can be either 50 mg or 100 mg each. Initially it can be taken slowly such as three times a week. The strength should return within about 30 minutes or some energy. some people liked it so much they will be taking it everyday. Everybody has a specific biochemical needs for each one.

Depression

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Posted by Tim (Perth, Western Australia) on 03/13/2009
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I am a 46 year old male who has suffered from regular bouts of depression for most of my adult life. These depressed episodes were not usually linked to any situational cause and indeed could be very difficult to understand for my family because there was no obvious trigger or reason why I was depressed. The symptoms presented as physical as well as mental and I would suffer from joint pain, lethargy and extreme nausea and in severe bouts even cold sweats and shivering that would last for days and sometimes a week. I have tried prescription anti-depressants but the side effects were almost as bad as the ailment so I resolved to put up with the ups and downs (I only probably had episodes bad enough to take off work maybe twice a year).

About 2 years ago someone put me on to 5 Hydroxy Tryptophan or 5-HTP as a precursor to serotonin production and I decided to give it a try (the potential for weight loss was an added incentive) and I found the results somewhat hit and miss until after some research and experimentation I hit on the combination of 5-HTP (100mg) combined with Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate (15mg) (the active enzyme version of vitamin B6 and assists in the conversion of the 5-HTP to serotonin) taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (I avoid eating for at least half an hour). The theory from my research into taking it on an empty stomach is that this avoids the 5-htp metabolising into serotonin in the stomach before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Further, I have found that the active version of B6 is more effective than the common variety version (pyridoxine) because I think I struggle to metabolise the pyridoxine variety into the active enzyme and therefore have a natural B6 deficiency (probably why I don't produce enough serotonin).

I haven't had a bout of depression for over 12 months now despite the fact that I have experienced (as many others have over the past 4 months) the most stressful and extreme anxiety creating environment of my professional life.

Kidney Stones

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Posted by Bertha (Phoenix) on 04/23/2006
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I have read two books by a great American researcher and nutritionist: Adelle Davis. She thoroughly explains why kidney stones are formed, that kidney stones can be prevented and that kidney stones can be dissolved.

Magnesium is essential because it acidifies the urine and in acid urine stones cannot be formed.

Vit B6 prevents the formation of oxalic acid kidney stones and calcium has to be present in the diet because if calcium is lacking in the diet, the body will withdraw it from the bones and form the stones just the same.

As magnesium interacts with calcium, if both minerals are taken in the right proportions (300 mgs of magnesium per 1 gram of calcium) kidney stones are not formed and/or can be dissolved. This is what has kept me free from stones for the last 20 years. As soon as I FEEL there's grit in my kidney, I increase my intake of magnesium and problem is gone in 24 hours.

Replied by Sam
(Cape Town)
09/30/2017

This is a very old post but as it is still visible on this webpage, I feel I need to correct the incorrect information given by Bertha. The optimal proportion of Magnesium to Calcium should be 10 Mg to 4 Ca - 2.5 times MORE magnesium to calcium. The magnesium binds with the calcium in the kidney and this allows it to be excreted. Calcium on its own accumulates in the body and only with the help of magnesium can it be used to build bones and the excess calcium (which builds up in arteries, etc) can be removed from the body. The Western diet has an excess of calcium consumption (through dairy and additives in all types of foods) resulting in osteoporosis!! There is very little osteoporosis in Japan, where dairy is not consumed as a regular part of their diet, but they consume a lot of magnesium through vegetables, etc.

Kidney Stones
Posted by Shirley (Tenn)
★★★★★

Kidney Stones: Take 2 or 3 magnesium tablets 1 B6 tablet every day and drink more water. My husband had them often, since he started this, he hasn't had any in years.



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