Vitamin B6 - In Foods, Excess And Deficiency

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble vitamin from group B. Under this general name, a group of substances that are derivatives of pyridine - pyridoxol, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine are united. Pyridoxine is highly soluble in alcohol, water, does not dissolve in fats, ether. It is resistant to oxygen and high temperatures, but easily degrades in the light.

In the body, vitamin B6 is phosphorylated, and in this form is incorporated into enzymes involved in the exchange of amino acids. Absorption of vitamin B6 occurs throughout the small intestine and is excreted from the body by the kidneys.

Vitamin B6 content in foods

Vitamin B6 is found in foods of plant and animal origin.

Plant sources of pyridoxine are foods such as molasses, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, peas, sprouted cereals, mustard, beans, soybeans, lentils, lettuce and other leafy vegetables, yeast, seeds, nuts, almost all cereals and cereals. fruits and berries, especially bananas, avocados.

Herbs such as plantain, catnip, alfalfa, and oat straw are rich in pyridoxine.

More than other sources contain vitamin B6 in animal products - ham, tuna, beef, lamb, chicken, liver, eggs, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and other dairy products, seafood (oysters, shrimps, salmon).

Vitamin B6 content in some foods (mg / 100g):

• Beans - 0.90;
• Soy - 0.85;
• Sea buckthorn - 0.80;
• Beef liver - 0.70;
• Yeast - 0.60;
• Walnuts - 0.80;
• Sprouted wheat - 0.75;
• Garlic - 0.60;
• Mackerel - 0.80;
• Millet groats - 0.50;
• Sweet red pepper - 0.5;
• Rabbit meat - 0.45;
• Beef - 0.35;
• Bananas - 0.35;
• Lamb - 0.3;
• Fatty pork - 0.3;
• Hercules groats - 0.24;
• Avocado - 0.22;
• Rye bread - 0.17;
• White cabbage - 0.14;
• Cottage cheese - 0.11;
• Processed cheese - 0.10.

The destruction of the vitamin occurs during long-term storage and canning of food, with prolonged stewing and frying, when cooking in large volumes of water, and also if food is prepared for future use.

Small amounts of pyridoxine are formed by its own microflora in the small intestine.

Vitamin B6 intake

For healthy adults (men and women), the physiological need for vitamin B6 is 2 mg / day, for pregnant women 2.3 mg / day, for women who are breastfeeding - 2.5 mg / day.

The dose for children and adolescents, depending on age, from 0.5 to 2 mg / day (from 6 months to 1 year - 0.5 mg, 1-1.5 g - 0.9 mg; 1.5-2 years - 1 mg; 3-4 years old - 1.3 mg; 5-6 years old - 1.4 mg; 7-10 years old - 1.7 mg; 11-13 years old - 2 mg; for boys 14-17 years old - 2, 2 mg; for girls 14-17 years old - 1.9 mg).

Up to 50 - 70% of the population experience a lack of this vitamin in one form or another.

The effect of vitamin B6 on the body

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of pyridoxine for the body. It participates in a variety of biochemical reactions as an integral part of enzymes, regulating the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Pyridoxine improves the functioning of the brain and peripheral nervous systems, heart, liver, and normalizes blood pressure. It participates in the formation of neurotransmitters, hemoglobin, catecholamines, prostaglandins, serotonin, GABA, histamine and a number of amino acids.

In the blood, vitamin B6 lowers the content of lipids, cholesterol and improves fat metabolism, preventing the development of atherosclerosis and obesity. It stimulates the formation of blood cells, activates folic acid.

Pyridoxine improves immune protection by enhancing the formation of antibodies, which are protein molecules by nature, and reduces inflammation and swelling of the joints.

Vitamin B6 is indispensable for hair and nails - it improves their structure and enhances growth. Pyridoxine regulates the production of sebum on the scalp and slows down hair loss.

Excess and deficiency of vitamin B6

An excess of pyridoxine, due to the fact that it is water-soluble and easily excreted from the body, is not observed.

Lack of vitamin B6 is manifested by various pathological processes. So, for example, with a lack of pyridoxine, the supply of glucose to the brain cells worsens, and this is manifested by fatigue, irritability, insomnia, easy fatigue, depression, and bad mood.

Under stress, the consumption of pyridoxine is increased, this disrupts the balance of potassium, sodium and water, causes swelling of the legs, arms, and face.

With a lack of pyridoxine, obesity, anemia, dermatoses, chorea, peripheral neuropathy, depression occur.

As an accompanying drug in the treatment of tuberculosis, vitamin B6 tablets are used to prevent the onset of neuritis.

If a person receives an insufficient amount of this vitamin with food, it can be replenished with the use of special preparations. Vitamin B6 is produced in ampoules in the form of a 5% solution. Parenteral administration is required in cases where it is necessary to quickly replenish the deficiency of this vitamin in the body, as well as when it is impossible to take it orally, for example, with vomiting, or if absorption from the intestine is impaired.

For the treatment of sideroblastic anemia, vitamin B6 tablets are taken at 100 mg 1 time per day.

It is used in the complex treatment of seizures, parkinsonism, neuritis, sciatica, Little's disease. With parkinsonism, vitamin B6 in ampoules is prescribed 100 mg 1 time per day, 20-25 injections per course.

Since vitamin B6 is very important for hair and its growth, it is added to the formulation of medicinal masks and shampoos.

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