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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
By WLR Dietitian
How much you need each day:
1.2mg for adult women
1.4mg
for adult men
Why you need it:
This vitamin is involved in the metabolism
of protein, especially the conversion of tryptophan into
niacin (see Vitamin B3). Its also essential for the formation
of red blood cells, antibodies and brain chemicals called
neurotransmitters. Some women also report that vitamin B6
provides relief from the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
(PMS).
Good food sources:
Vitamin B6 is found in many foods including
fish, offal, pork, eggs, yeast extract, brown rice, soya
beans, oats, wholegrains, peanuts, walnuts, avocado and
bananas.
Too little:
A deficiency in this vitamin is extremely rare
but can lead to depression, headaches, confusion,
irritability, cracking of the lips and tongue, numbness in the
hands and feet, anaemia and lowered immunity.
Top tip:
If you want to take a supplement to help ease the
symptoms of PMS make sure it contains less than 10mg of
vitamin B6. Very high doses of this vitamin usually provided
in the form of supplements are linked with nerve damage,
including numbness in the hands and feet. Consequently, health
experts recommend taking no more than 10mg a day, unless
advised otherwise by a medically-qualified doctor.
How to get enough:
Food
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Vitamin B6 Content (mg)
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50g Swiss-style muesli
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0.8
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100g drained tuna, canned in water
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0.5
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90g lean roast pork
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0.4
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50g walnuts
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0.3
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1/2 medium avocado
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0.3
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1 medium banana
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0.3
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