Vitamin B6 Supplement Benefits and Dosage
Vitamin B6 has links to reducing the risk of cognitive decline, find out more here.
Vitamin B6 functions
Vitamin B6 has the following functions:
Metabolism of nutrients
Synthesis of red blood cells and neurotransmitters
Mood regulation
Vitamin B6 dosage
The Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) is around 1.4mg per day. In every dose of the Heights Smart Supplement 30mg (equal to 9oz tuna steak or 3 cups of chickpeas), this is 2143% the NRV. The NRV is really the minimum amount and higher doses have been shown to be beneficial. There are also no suggested negative side effects from taking this higher dose.
This is why we choose to include a higher dose of Vitamin B6 to make sure you are getting all the benefits from it.
Vitamin B6 research
Vitamin B6 is key in metabolising homocysteine - which is important as elevated levels have been associated with higher risks of depression, psychiatric disorders, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Vitamin B6 benefits for the brain
Vitamin B6 is key in metabolising homocysteine - which is important as elevated levels have been associated with higher risks of depression, psychiatric disorders, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Vitamin B6 benefits
Synthesising neurotransmitters
Aids in mood regulation
Essential for energy release from foodÂ
Essential for haemoglobin formation
A clinical trial found that it helped slow the shrinking of the brain in areas associated with cognitive decline
Plays well with
Iron and B6 work together to form haemoglobin, so it’s important to consume both.
Clever stuff
Vitamin B6 may help to improve brain function and even prevent Alzheimer’s disease; one clinical trial found that vitamin supplementation with folic acid, B6 and B12 slowed shrinking of the brain over two years in areas of the brain that are associated with cognitive decline.
Evidence
Here’s a handful of relevant scientific studies on vitamin B6.
Hvas, A. M., Juul, S., Bech, P., & Nexø, E. (2004). Vitamin B6 level is associated with symptoms of depression. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 73(6), 340-343.
Folstein, M., Liu, T., Peter, I., Buel, J., Arsenault, L., Scott, T., & Qiu, W. W. (2007). The homocysteine hypothesis of depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(6), 861-867.
Herrmann, W., Lorenzl, S., & Obeid, R. (2007). Review of the role of hyperhomocysteinemia and B-vitamin deficiency in neurological and psychiatric disorders--current evidence and preliminary recommendations. Fortschritte der Neurologie-psychiatrie, 75(9), 515-527.
Nutt, D. J. (2008). Relationship of neurotransmitters to the symptoms of major depressive disorder. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 69, 4-7.
Clayton, P. T. (2006). B 6-responsive disorders: a model of vitamin dependency. Journal of inherited metabolic disease, 29(2-3), 317-326.
Douaud, G., Refsum, H., de Jager, C. A., Jacoby, R., Nichols, T. E., Smith, S. M., & Smith, A. D. (2013). Preventing Alzheimer’s disease-related gray matter atrophy by B-vitamin treatment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(23), 9523-9528.