Vitamin B6 is an important nutrient for the body. Deficiency or excess of vitamin B6 can lead to many harmful effects on health.
1. The role of Vitamin B6 in the body
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a vitamin in the B vitamin group and has many important roles in the body, specifically as follows
- Vitamin B6 acts as a coenzyme participating in metabolic reactions in the body, helping to synthesize neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, taurine, norepinephrine, histamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid.. and amino acids necessary for the body
- Plays an important role in the metabolism of protein, fat, carbohydrates, participating in the conversion of glycogen into glucose, thereby helping to maintain stable blood sugar levels
- Vitamin B6 also participates in the synthesis of hemoglobin
- Helps increase the excretion of oxalate through urine, preventing kidney stones
- Helps protect the heart, reduce cholesterol, strengthen the immune system and maintain healthy brain function.
2. What are the harmful effects of vitamin B6 deficiency?
Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to many symptoms: fatigue, irritability, insomnia,…
Vitamin B6 plays an important role in the development of the fetus and children after birth, especially important in the development of the nervous system and brain. Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to many symptoms: fatigue, irritability, insomnia, mental disorders, dry, cracked lips, dry skin, acne, hair loss, red eyes, blurred vision, slow wound healing, immune deficiency, nerve pain, epilepsy and increased homocysteine levels… People who are addicted to alcohol, malnourished, have cirrhosis, heart failure,… are often at high risk of vitamin B6 deficiency.
3. What are the harmful effects of excess vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6 is an important nutrient for the body. However, if you supplement too much vitamin B6, it can also cause many harmful effects. For adults, supplementing more than 100mg of vitamin B6 per day can cause nerve damage. Excess vitamin B6 can also cause numbness in the feet, hands or even loss of sensation.
4. Supplement vitamin B6 properly
Vitamin B6 should be added to the diet at a dose of about 1mg/day for adults.
Many experts recommend adding vitamin B6 to the diet at a dose of about 1mg/day for adults to help normal metabolism. For people with reduced PLP/plasma due to metabolic dysfunction in the body, it is necessary to supplement more than 25mg. To provide enough vitamin B6, it is necessary to add to the diet the following foods: bananas, potatoes, whole grains, fish, poultry, lean beef, cheese, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, watermelon, soybeans, peanuts, eggs…
To prevent vitamin B6 from being lost during food storage and processing, food should be kept in a cool, dry place, away from moisture and direct sunlight.
