You probably have heard of Vitamin B, but what about the branch of Vitamin B called Vitamin B6? Did you know that Vitamin B6 (also known as Pyridoxine) is a water-soluble nutrient and is the Vitamin that converts the food we eat into the energy we need to function? Read on to learn more about the wonderful health benefits of Vitamin B6 and how to easily increase your intake in a tasty way.

This week’s Nutrients by the Alphabet: Vitamin B6

That’s right, in this new series – Nutrients by the Alphabet – you will learn all about important nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), their health benefits, and easy and delicious ways to get more of the good stuff with a fun recipe to try each week (courtesy of my awesome student-intern from Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School – Shelby Persechino)!

So, what are the health benefits of Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6 has a ton of awesome health benefits such as Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) relief, healthy brain and nervous system, heathy vision, and many more. Vitamin B6 helps with the making of hemoglobin, which is the process where your red blood cells transfers oxygen through your body. This helps with keeping your brain and nervous system healthy. Vitamin B6 can help reduce moodiness, bloating, irritability, anxiety, and forgetfulness caused from PMS. Now what women wouldn’t want relief in that department?! Another benefit for women - Vitamin B6 can decrease nausea during pregnancy by relieving “morning sickness” and any nausea that occurs during pregnancy. Vitamin B6 also helps with regulating the amount of homocysteine, which is the amino acid you obtain from eating sources of protein, you have in your blood stream to keep your blood vessels healthy. Eating more foods that have Vitamin B6 in them can help you lower your risk of eye disorders and loss of vision. Vitamin B6 can also reduce symptoms of wheezing and lower the severity and frequency of the attacks caused from asthma.

So how much Vitamin B6 do we need and where can I find good sources of it?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adult males between 19 and 50 years of age is 1.3 mg, and those over the age of 50 need 1.7 mg. Women between 19 and 50 years of age should take 1.3 mg, and those over 50 should take 1.5 mg.”

Deficiency of Vitamin B6 is very uncommon, while having too much can cause confusion, muscle numbness, and other unwanted symptoms. You can get Vitamin B6 in foods like turkey breast, chicken breast, tuna, avocado, grass fed beef, pinto beans, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, chick peas, bananas, etc.

Looking for more Vitamin B6 in your life? Here is a healthy, natural, and delicious recipe on how to make avocado bison burgers from Dr. Axe: