Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 or “pyridoxine” is considered to be the most important B vitamin with its many life-supporting functions in metabolic reactions. This vitamin also provides energy, so this is a great one to take if you want to keep up with your busy daily activities. Vitamin B6 can be found in many whole foods in small amounts, and in wheat and organ meats like liver in higher amounts. The suggested amount to be taken is 2-3 mg. or up to 200 to 300 mg for clinical uses.

However, watch out on going overboard with Vitamin B6, since it has been linked to neuritis (nerve inflammation, accompanied by pain); although, it has been a rare occurrence. Symptoms for deficiency of this vitamin have been more common which resulted in problems with skin, energy level and nerves.


What is the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin B6 for Adults?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group . Because this vitamin is involved in many aspects of metabolism, several factors are likely to effect an individual's requirement.

Life Stage Age Males (mg/day)<.td> Females (mg/day)
Adolescents 14-18 years 1.3 1.2
Adults 19-50 years 1.3 1.3
Adults 51 years and older 1.7 1.5
Pregnancy all ages - 1.9
Breast-feeding all ages - 2.0

Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. The table of selected food sources of vitamin B6 suggests many dietary sources of B6.

Table of Food Sources

Food Milligrams (mg) per serving % DV*
Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% fortified, ¾ c 2.00 100
Potato, Baked, flesh and skin, 1 medium 0.70 35
Banana, raw, 1 medium 0.68 34
Garbanzo beans, canned, ½ c 0.57 30
Chicken breast, meat only, cooked, ½ breast 0.52 25
Ready-to-eat cereal, 25% fortified, ¾ c 0.50 25
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, 1 packet 0.42 20
Pork loin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz 0.42 20
Roast beef, eye of round, lean only, cooked, 3 oz 0.32 15
Trout, rainbow, cooked, 3 oz 0.29 15
Sunflower seeds, kernels, dry roasted, 1 oz 0.23 10
Spinach, frozen, cooked, ½ c 0.14 8
Tomato juice, canned, 6 oz 0.20 10
Avocado, raw, sliced, ½ cup 0.20 10
Salmon, Sockeye, cooked, 3 oz 0.19 10
Tuna, canned in water, drained solids, 3 oz 0.18 10
Wheat bran, crude or unprocessed, ¼ c 0.18 10
Peanut butter, smooth, 2 Tbs. 0.15 8
Walnuts, English/Persian, 1 oz 0.15 8
Soybeans, green, boiled, drained, ½ c 0.05 2
Lima beans, frozen, cooked, drained, ½ c 0.10 6

* DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help consumers determine if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient. The DV for vitamin B6 is 2.0 milligrams (mg).

The percent DV (%DV) listed on the nutrition facts panel of food labels tells you what percentage of the DV is provided in one serving. Percent DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Foods that provide lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.


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