Vitamin B6

By: Jae Yoon Chung

What is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B complex group.

There are several names for the vitamin such as pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine and pyridoxine hydrochloride.

Functions In The Body

Vitamin B6 has several functions once it enters the body. Most of these functions are metabolic: -Amino acid metabolism (synthesis and breakdown of amino acids)-Gluconeogenesis-Neurotransmitter synthesis

Functions In The Body cont.

-Histamine synthesis (creation of histamine in the body)-Hemoglobin synthesis (enhances the oxygen binding of hemoglobin)-Gene Expression

Symptoms & Diseases

Deficiencies of vitamin B6 can lead to:-Anemia (lack of hemoglobin in blood)-Depression-Dermatitis (inflammation of the skin)-Hypertension (high blood pressure)-Water retention (excess amount of fluids in the circulatory system or tissues of the body)-Elevated levels of homocysteine

Toxicity Symptoms

An average person should not take more than 100mg of vitamin B6 a day from supplements, drugs or fortified foods.

An overdose of vitamin B6 can cause:-Sensory neuropathy (damage to the peripheral nerves which can cause blindness)-Dermatological lesions

Food Sources

Vitamin B6 is widely distributed in its free and bound forms in foods.

Foods that have a lot of B6 are meats, whole grain products, vegetables and nuts

Raw vegetables and nuts should be eaten because cooking them causes more than 50% of vitamin B6 to be lost.

Bibliography

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protects proteins from functional damage by 3-Deoxyglucosone; mechanism of action of pyridoxamine. Biochemistry 2008,47,997-1006.