About Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is essential nutrient, important not only for optimal health but also to treat and prevent diseases. Vitamin B6 helps process amino acids – the building blocks of all proteins and some hormones. It is involved as well in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. It is important for the formation of hemoglobin, iron-containing protein found in red blood cells and critical to their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body.
Apart from its role in energy metabolism and tissue formation, vitamin B6 plays an important role in mental health and cognitive abilities through the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow brain and nerve cells to communicate with one another. It benefits cardiovascular health by maintaining normal levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, high levels of which are linked to early development of heart disease.
Vitamin B6 deficiency can present itself in a range of symptoms, including cracked and sore lips, glossy, smooth surface of the tongue (glossitis), skin rashes, changes in mood, low energy or fatigue, numbness in the extremities, impaired immune function, premenstrual tension or anemia due to depressed hemoglobin synthesis.
Even though most people can get enough vitamin B6 through their diet it must be considered that many plant foods contain less bioavailable form of vitamin B6 than other food sources or supplements. Even in a mixed diet vitamin B6 has been found to be approximately 75% bioavailable. Thus, those who follow a very restricted vegetarian diet might need to increase their vitamin B6 intake by eating foods fortified with vitamin B6 or by taking a supplement.
Furthermore, certain age groups such as older adults (above age 45) have been reported to have significantly lower B6 plasma levels.