Vitamin B₆ flies under the radar: Are you getting enough?

Although there are eight different B vitamins, some get more attention than others. And while vitamin B₁₂ is often spotlighted for its role in keeping blood and nerve cells healthy, vitamin B₆, also known as pyridoxine, tends to fly under the radar.

Like most of the B vitamins, B₆ is essential, which means your body can't synthesize it — you have to get this vital micronutrient from your diet. Are you getting all that your body needs? That's worth asking, particularly if you're eating less of certain foods for health or environmental reasons.

What B₆ does in your body

Vitamin B₆ plays a role in more than 100 enzyme reactions in the body. It helps your body break down protein, carbohydrates, and fats that build muscle, supply energy, and fulfill a multitude of essential tasks. Vitamin B₆ also helps

• keep your immune system working well
• create important brain-signaling chemicals (neurotransmitters), including serotonin and dopamine
• make hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells.

A B₆ deficiency issue?

A recent study found that nearly 13% of Americans may be deficient in vitamin B₆, based on blood levels of the biologically active form of the vitamin (pyridoxal 5-phosphate). Researchers noted that death rates may be somewhat higher for people with insufficient or deficient B₆ levels. However, it's important to put these findings in context.

"These are likely to be people who have low-quality diets overall, so it is difficult to conclude that inadequate vitamin B₆ is to blame," says Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Advice for getting enough vitamin B₆

Although fish, dairy, and poultry are among the richest sources of B₆, this vitamin is also found in beans, nuts, and many fruits and vegetables. So if you eat a high-quality diet that includes fresh, unprocessed foods, you're probably getting an adequate amount of vitamin B₆, says Dr. Willett.

But increasingly, some people have begun cutting back on meat, dairy, and fish for health or environmental reasons. "If they don't replace those lost calories with healthy, plant-based protein such as legumes and nuts, they might be at risk for inadequate vitamin B₆ levels," says Dr. Willett.

Taking a standard, inexpensive multivitamin/multimineral supplement is one way to be sure you're getting an adequate amount of vitamin B₆, along with adequate amounts of other B vitamins. "Of course, a supplement is not meant to replace a healthy diet, which also provides many health-promoting substances known as phytochemicals not found in pills," he adds.