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Vitamin B6: What Foods Is It Found In?

Our body needs vitamin B6 for several metabolic processes. Deficits are rare. Nevertheless, you should eat a balanced diet to ensure your supply. Which foods are particularly suitable for this and what quantities are recommended?

The term “vitamin B6” actually covers several different chemical compounds. In the body, these are converted into the coenzyme pyridoxal phosphate.

The human metabolism only works properly with a healthy intake of vitamin B6. The body can only properly convert carbohydrates and amino acids, for example, if there is enough of it.

Humans also need sufficient vitamin B6 to be able to form niacin, another important B vitamin. Niacin, in turn, is essential for the breakdown of homocysteine, which can damage blood vessels in too high concentrations.

How much vitamin B6 is needed daily?

Various factors can have a strong influence on the daily requirement of vitamin B6, such as age, gender, or life situation. Especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding, women need a higher intake of vitamin B6.

The daily requirement is independent of the amount of protein consumed daily. From this perspective, a high-protein diet is harmless. Our profile of the vitamin shows how high the daily requirement of vitamin B6 is for each population group.

How dangerous is a vitamin B6 deficiency?

In Germany, cases of vitamin B6 deficiency are relatively rare. If it does occur, it is often preceded by long-term alcohol abuse.

Certain medicines can also hurt the vitamin B6 level, for example, certain antidepressants, epilepsy medicines, or asthma medicines. Even the birth control pill can become a problem for the supply of vitamin B6.

If a vitamin B6 deficiency occurs, in most cases it manifests itself in cracked corners of the mouth, greater susceptibility to infections, or menstrual cramps. If the deficiency lasts for a long time, the function of the liver and the nervous system can be impaired. Numbness and anemia are then not uncommon.

To prevent this from happening, the right diet should be chosen to ensure a healthy intake of vitamin B6. The gallery shows which foods are particularly rich in vitamin B6.

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Written by Lindy Valdez

I specialize in food and product photography, recipe development, testing, and editing. My passion is health and nutrition and I am well-versed in all types of diets, which, combined with my food styling and photography expertise, helps me to create unique recipes and photos. I draw inspiration from my extensive knowledge of world cuisines and try to tell a story with every image. I am a best-selling cookbook author and I have also edited, styled and photographed cookbooks for other publishers and authors.

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