Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6 - Benefits You Must Know and Harmful Effects

The B6 vitamin is part of the huge Vitamin B family. It is also known as Pyridoxine, though not many people know its scientific name. Like all other vitamin Bs, it is water soluble, and helps cell metabolism. It is needed to extract glucose from glycogen and cooperates with the activities of amino acids in one's body. There are seven alternative forms of the Vitamin B6, but I shall not go into it in depth as that would take a long time.

The B6 Vitamin was discovered many decades ago by scientists researching on nutrition for, oddly, animals. Later, it was found that many chemicals depended on this important vitamin for processing, especially the amino acids, as mentioned above. Before much was known about this Vitamin, psychiatrists erroneously prescribed it in large quantities in bid to uplift moods. However, thankfully after in-depth research this practice was abandoned.

This vitamin is important for a number of bodily functions. This includes reducing risk of Parkinson's diseases, aid muscle toning, stabilizing blood pressure and increasing immunity, much like the family of Vitamin B. However, deficiencies cause many problems for anyone too, including eye-related problems like conjunctivitis. Other problems include anemia, bloating due to water retention and a general lowering of spirits and mood.

Despite its importance, it is surprising to note that only a tiny trace amount is needed for optimal functioning, even for adults. For men and women, the recommended amount by the USA RDA is only about 1.2-3 mg. Slightly more is required of both pregnant and breast feeding women, but this tops at 2.0 mg only.

An overdose of this vitamin can cause a host of problems, including a sense of depersonalization, where a person feels like he or she does not belong to their body. The nervous system may also malfunction and misfire pain signals, which will cause a person tremendous pain even without injuries. Some also experience motor problems such as coordinating their gaits.

If you are conscientious about your diet, there is no need to take vitamin B6 supplements because all you need is a tiny amount. You can easily obtain your required dose from other natural, safer sources. These include leafy greens, legumes, wheat germs and avocados. In animal sources, you can easily find it in chicken, tuna, turkey and liver. If you like molasses, it is a good source of safe B6 vitamin too.

Whatever you do, just take everything moderately to reap the maximum benefits for your health.