Vitamin B6 is a water soluble compound discovered in the 1930s and is one of the B complex vitamins, Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine and pyridoxal are three natural forms of it. Pyridoxine is mostly found in plants and seeds, while pyridoxamine and pyridoxal are mainly from animal foods. Nutritional supplements usually contain pyridoxine. All three forms of vitamin B6 are precursors of an activated compound known as pyridoxal 5 phosphate (PLP), which plays a vital role as the co-factor of a large number of essential enzymes in the human body.
Enzymes dependent on PLP focus a wide variety of chemical reactions mainly involving amino acids. The reactions carried out by the PLP-dependent enzymes that act on amino acids include transfer of the amino group, decarboxylation, racemization, and beta-or gamma-elimination or replacement.
Pyridoxal phosphate, the metabolically active form of vitamin B6, is involved in many aspects of macronutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, histamine synthesis, and hemoglobin synthesis and function and gene expression. Pyridoxal phosphate generally serves as a coenzyme for many reactions and can help to facilitate decarboxylation, transamination, recemization, elimination, replacement and beta group interconversion reactions. The liver is the site for vitamin B6 metabolism.
Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) is a cofactor in transaminases that can catabolize amino acids. PLP is also an essential component of two enzymes that convert methionine to cystein via two reactions. Low vitamin B6 status will result in decreased activity of the enzymes. Vitamin B6 is also required for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin and low vitamin B6 level will impair this conversion.
Although vitamin B6 is considered as one of the more stable B vitamin, a large part of it, ranging from 40% to 80%, is lost during processing such as freezing, cooking, and canning of food.
Vitamin B6 benefit
Pyridoxine, like other Vitamin B, plays an important role in maintaining the nervous and cardiovascular systems as well as the muscle tone of the gastrointestinal tract. The B vitamins are also vital for energy production.
Vitamin B6 is itself involved in more than 100 enzyme processes that have wide impact on our health. It is needed for the synthesis of amino acids that the body uses to build proteins that are essential for cell formation, and the growth and repair of practically all body structures.
This list summarizes the many ways vitamin B6 benefits our health.
VITAMIN B6 BENEFITS & FUNCTIONS. | |
1. | helps the body break down fats and carbohydrates (starch and sugar) to produce energy |
2. | helps regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels within a normal range |
3. | helps the immune system to produce antibodies which are needed to fight off diseases, especially in older people who tend to have impaired immune systems |
4. | needed for the metabolism of protein from food |
5. | essential for new cell formation and growth |
6. | promotes healthy skin and mucous membranes that act as an effective barrier against bacteria and viruses |
7. | needed to make red blood cells and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen to tissues |
8. | important for nerve and brain function, as it is needed for production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, and formation of the myelin sheath around nerves |
9. | preliminary evidence suggests that pyridoxine's role in serotonin production helps it to treat mental depression as well |
10. | helps the body convert the amino acid tryptophan to vitamin B3 (niacin) |
11. | has been shown to work with vitamins B12 and B9 (folic acid) to reduce the risk of heart disease by inhibiting formation of homocysteine, a toxic chemical that attacks heart muscles and allows deposition of cholesterol around the heart and arteries and is associated with atherosclerosis |
12. | some evidence it may reduce PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms like breast tenderness or pain and PMS related anxiety or depression |
13. | helps prevent kidney stones, as pyridoxine (alone or with magnesium) helps lower urinary oxalate levels that can lead to a type of kidney stone formation in women |
14. | initial studies suggest that large doses under medical supervision may be useful in treating treat carpal tunnel syndrome |
Vitamin B6 Deficiency Symptoms and Causes.
Vitamin B6 deficiency may arise from a deficient diet, or due to difficulty in absorbing it from food as a result of a stomach or intestinal disorder.
Smoking and alcohol can deplete Vitamin B6, as can certain prescription medications. These include some antibiotics, barbiturates, asthma-related drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, anti-tuberculosis drugs, anti-depressants, birth control pills, oral estrogen, and diuretics.
Full blown deficiency of this vitamin B6 is rare as it is available in many foods. However mild deficiency is common.
Typically, among the first vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms to show up are skin and nerve disorders, due to the key role that this nutrient plays in new cell formation and nerve function.
VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY & SYMPTOMS | |
1. | Skin disorders such as scaling of skin or dermatitis (skin inflammation) |
2. | Cracks or sores on the lips, tongue or mouth |
3. | Inflammation of mucous membranes of the mouth or tongue (glossitis, characterized by a smooth sore inflamed tongue) |
4. | Nerve related problems including convulsions and seizures |
5. | Arm and leg cramps or numbness of hands and feet |
6. | Irritability or other mood abnormalities |
7. | Mental depression or confusion |
8. | Frequent nausea or vomiting or dizziness |
9. | Migraine headaches |
10. | Microcytic (pernicious) anemia / anemia |
11. | Chronic fatigue or feeling of weakness |
12. | Weak immune system characterized by greater susceptibility to infection |
13. | Children with severe asthma may suffer deficiency as the prescription drug theophylline, for managing asthma, seems to deplete pyridoxine |
