What You Need to Know About Vitamin B-6

I opened a Woman’s World magazine the other day to the cover story of the issue “Chances are you are not getting enough of “The Get-Slim Vitamin!”" A full two pages was dedicated to Vitamin B-6. Within the article are many facts taken from various studies regarding the benefits of Vitamin B-6. So why should we not want to learn more about this wonderful vitamin? My first source to check on nutrition is always the World’ Healthiest Food Organization where I found the following chart:

Excellent sources of vitamin B6 include bell peppers, turnip greens, and spinach. Very good food sources of vitamin B6 include garlic, tuna, cauliflower, mustard greens, banana, celery, cabbage, crimini mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cod and chard.

What does Vitamin B-6 do?

Our body’s chemistry depends upon enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that enable our body to react properly. Vitamin B-6 is involved in more than 100 enzymatic reactions proving that its function in the body is vital and vast to the support of our system. George Mateljan advises “It is difficult to find a chemical category of molecules in the body that do not depend in some way on vitamin B6 for their production.”

Helps to prevent atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer” because of the lack of symptoms and the quickness it can use to cause a fatal heart attack or stroke. It is responsible for 43% of all deaths in the United States. Atherosclerosis can be defined as the hardening of arteries due to buildup of cholesterol-containing plaque, and is responsible for coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in America.

Take a peek at the picture below. This is a frightening example of an artery lined with plaque.

heartzine.com

In the Journal of Chronic Diseases, July 1955, Vitamin B-6 was touted for it’s effectiveness in preventing atherosclerosis.

Vitamin B-6 is also being prescribed for these conditions according to Healing with Vitamins:

• AIDS/HIV
• Alcoholism
• Asthma
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Homocysteine
• Immunity
• Memory
• Morning Sickness
• Parkinson’s
• Phlebitis
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Prostrate enlargement
• Varicose Veins
• Water retention

Even the foods richest in Vitamin B-6 may only provide a single milligram, according to the authors of Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins. Their recommendation is a B-complex capsule containing Biotin 300 micrograms, Riboflavin 25 milligrams and Vitamin B-6 50- 200 milligrams. They do advise that a daily dose of over 100 milligrams of vitamin B-6 should be taken only under the supervision of your family physician.