Vitamin B6 - Vitamins

Vitamin B ₆

Vitamin B ₆ (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble B vitamin critical for the metabolism of amino acids. Along with niacinamide, vitamin B ₆ aids in the absorption of proteins, helps the body use fats, and assists in the formation of red blood cells. It helps the normal functioning of the brain, maintains chemical balance among body fluids, regulates excretion of water, and helps in energy production and resistance to stress.

Vitamin B ₆ can be found in avocados, bananas, bran, brewer's yeast, carrots, wholewheat flour, hazelnuts, lentils, rice, salmon, shrimp, soybeans, sunflower seeds, tuna, and wheat germ. A pyridoxine deficiency results in depressed immunity, noted by a reduction in the quantity and quality of antibodies produced, shrinkage of lymphatic tissues including the thymus gland, decreased thymus hormone activity, and a reduction in the number and activity of lymphocytes. Factors contributing to a vitamin B ₆ deficiency include low dietary intake, excess protein intake, and alcohol and oral contraception use.

Vitamin B ₆ and Asthma.     Vitamin B ₆ may be of direct benefit to asthmatic patients since it is involved in the synthesis of all major neurotransmitters. In one study, plasma and red cell pyridoxal phosphate (the active form of vitamin B ₆ ) levels in 15 adult patients with asthma were significantly lower than in 16 controls. In his 1975 book, Meganutrients for Your Nerves, H. Newbold states that all patients reported a dramatic decrease in frequency and severity of wheezing and asthmatic attacks while taking the supplements.

Vitamin B ₆ and Cancer.     Vitamin B ₆ is one of the most promising B vitamins for cancer treatment. Robert Reynold, Hans Ladner, and Richard Salkeld conducted a clinical trial treating cancer patients with vitamin B ₆ in addition to radiotherapy. Three hundred milligrams of B ₆ were given over a seven-week period to 105 endometrial cancer patients, aged 45–65. These patients had a 15% improvement in five-year survival rates compared to 105 patients who did not receive the B ₆ supplements. No side effects from the B ₆ supplementation were observed. Another study suggested that B ₆ supplementation to correct metabolic abnormality might prevent recurrence of bladder cancer.

Ladner and Salkeld also confirmed the beneficial effects of B ₆ on radiation-induced symptoms (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) in gynecological patients treated with high-energy radiation. They subsequently gave B ₆ to 6,300 patients with cervical, uterine, endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers and concluded that both quality of life and survival rates significantly improved. This clinical trial was cited in 1991 by Robert D. Reynold in a chapter in Essential Nutrients in Carcinogenesis .

Vitamin B ₆ has also proved effective in inhibiting melanoma cancer cells. One research team developed a topical B ₆ pyridoxal that “produced a significant reduction in the size of subcutaneous cancer nodules and complete regression of cutaneous papules.” While the results were considered preliminary, they may lead to a more successful topical B ₆ treatment for several forms of skin cancer, according to Reynold.

Vitamin B ₆ and Morning Sickness.     A study of 59 pregnant women cited by Fugh-Berman found that vitamin B ₆ was more effective than placebo in reducing severe nausea and vomiting caused by pregnancy. No difference was found for mild to moderate nausea. Although vitamin B ₆ has been used for morning sickness since the early 1940s, pregnant women should ask their obstetrician before taking the vitamin because it can cause insomnia and other problems.