Among the B vitamins, the well-known should be vitamin B9, that is, we usually refer to folic acid, women in the pregnancy period and pregnancy, doctors will recommend folic acid supplementation to prevent fetal neural tube malformations.
Some patients with cardiovascular diseases will reduce the content of low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides in the human blood by taking folic acid, thereby removing plaque in the blood, reducing the burden on blood vessels, and reducing the occurrence of cerebral infarction and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
In addition to folic acid, vitamin B12 in B vitamins is conducive to the development and maturation of red blood cells, so that the body's hematopoietic function is in a normal state, thereby preventing the occurrence of pernicious anemia and neurological diseases.
It can be seen that B vitamins are very important to the human body, and the vitamin B6 we are going to talk about today is also a relatively common B vitamin, which is also essential for the human body.
So, what are the effects of vitamin B6? Let's learn together!
First, how important is vitamin B6? Studies have found that vitamin B6 supplementation can reduce anxiety and depression
Although there has always been some controversy about the importance of trace elements to the human body, this does not mean that their efficacy can be completely ignored.
As a water-soluble vitamin, vitamin B6 is composed of 6 vitamin isomers that can be converted into each other, and is closely related to the metabolism of amino acids.
After the human body ingests vitamin B6, it can be converted to pyridoxine phosphate (PMP) under the action of pyridoxal kinase, and then PMP will be converted to pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) under the action of pyridoxine-phosphate aminotransferase or pyridoxidase phosphate.
As a coenzyme factor, PLP can help transfer amino groups from one amino acid to another, thereby promoting amino acid metabolism and providing energy for the body's life activities.
In addition, as a cofactor, PLP can promote the synthesis of neurotransmitters and the breakdown of hemoglobin and glycogen, thereby protecting the human nervous system, preventing megaloblastic anemia and promoting human metabolism.
In addition, studies have shown that vitamin B6 supplementation can relieve anxiety and depression.
On July 49, 2022, researchers at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom published a study titled High-dose Vitamin B6 supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression.
The study, which involved 478 participants, was randomized to a controlled, double-blind study in which participants were randomly given vitamin B6, vitamin B12 supplements, or placebo and given one tablet a day with food. At the same time, the experimental group consumed about 50 times the recommended daily intake (1.2 mg for adults), which was much higher than the recommended amount.
A month later, the researchers gave participants a visual test (testing and evaluating with a machine instead of the human eye), and the data showed that self-reported anxiety (N = 265) and depression (N = 146) were assessed at basal levels and after vitamin supplementation.
The results showed that vitamin B12 had little effect on anxiety relief compared to taking a placebo, but the effect of vitamin B6 was significant.
That said, taking vitamin B6 in high doses can relieve anxiety and depression, however, researchers caution that taking more than 200mg of vitamin B6 per day can lead to loss of consciousness in the arms and legs.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the dosage when taking it and it is not recommended to take it for a long time and in large doses.
In order to delve into the mechanism of vitamin B6 alleviating anxiety and depression, the researchers conducted further analysis and found that vitamin B6 can prompt the body to secrete γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which can inhibit the signaling of nerve cells in the brain, thereby alleviating anxiety and depression.
In addition, compared with taking drugs, vitamin B6 supplementation, although the side effects are smaller, can also play a certain role in alleviating anxiety and depression, but the effect is not obvious. However, this result still provides more treatment possibilities for patients with anxiety and depression.
In other words, patients with depression can appropriately consume some foods containing vitamin B6 (such as fish, bananas, etc.) while taking medication or talk therapy to improve the treatment effect.
Since vitamin B6 is so important, what are the possible consequences of deficiency? What manifestations of the body indicate vitamin B6 deficiency?
Second, how terrible is vitamin B6 deficiency? There are 2 abnormalities in the skin, replenish it in time, don't let it go!
It has been mentioned earlier that vitamin B6 has a variety of effects, and in life, there are some pregnant women who take vitamin B6 to relieve morning sickness. If the body is deficient in vitamin B6, a series of abnormalities will occur.
First of all, a lack of vitamin B6 can lead to anemia in the body. This is because vitamin B6 is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin in the body, and if it is deficient, it will inhibit the synthesis of hemoglobin, which in turn will cause anemia.
Secondly, the lack of vitamin B6 in the human body will affect the body's metabolism, reduce the body's resistance to external viruses and bacteria, and increase the risk of various diseases.
In addition, vitamin B6 is essential for the decomposition of amino acids in the human body, after the breakdown of amino acids can provide energy for human activities, if the lack of vitamin B6 will lead to fatigue;
At the same time, the nutritional effect of vitamin B6 on the nervous system will also be lost, and patients are prone to neurological diseases at this time, such as: irritability, confusion and other manifestations.
In addition to these manifestations, when vitamin B6 is lacking, the skin will give the following warning, stop pretending not to know!
1. Skin pigmentation
Vitamin B6 participates in the metabolism of a variety of organs, can promote the exchange and excretion of substances in the body, if it is lacking, it will lead to the body's melanin can not be metabolized normally, and it accumulates and precipitates on the skin, and eventually forms pigmentation and deepens the skin color.
In addition, after the metabolism of skin cells is affected, the skin will become particularly fragile, in this case, a little stimulation from the outside world may cause great damage to the skin; Coupled with the decline of the body's immune function, the resistance to external invasion will be significantly weakened, which can easily lead to skin diseases.
At the same time, the harmful substances in the body cannot be excreted outside the body in time, and they will accumulate in large quantities in the body and skin, and in the long run, it will cause irritation to the skin, resulting in redness, swelling and pain on the skin.
2. Dry and itchy skin
Vitamin B6 helps maintain the health of the skin, if the lack of vitamin B6 for a long time will lead to a decrease in moisture and oil on the surface of the skin, the skin loses moisture, thus becoming dry, becoming extremely sensitive to external stimuli, and causing itching.
In addition, vitamin B6 can promote the division and proliferation of skin cells, which in turn enables skin cells to keratinize normally. If the body lacks vitamin B6, the division of skin cells will slow down, which in turn leads to a slowdown or even stagnation of the keratinization process;
Over time, keratinized cells do not shed properly, causing the skin to thicken and even scale. Therefore, when the above abnormalities occur in the skin, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time for trace element testing to determine whether there is vitamin B6 deficiency, and supplement and symptomatic treatment according to the actual situation.
So, after discovering vitamin B6 deficiency, what method should I supplement?
Third, vitamin B6 deficiency, how to supplement correctly?
When it is determined that there is a lack of vitamin B6, the most important thing is to supplement in time, so that we can better promote our health, and we can start from the following aspects in the process of supplementing vitamin B6.
First, if there is a severe vitamin B6 deficiency, it should be supplemented with oral vitamin B6 under the guidance of a doctor. Under normal circumstances, adults should supplement 10~20 mg per day, insist on taking it for 3 weeks, and then change the dose to 2~3 mg per day and maintain it for several weeks according to their own conditions.
For children, it usually needs to be taken continuously for three weeks, and only 5~10 mg per day is needed. However, it should be noted that the specific dosage should be consulted with a doctor in a regular hospital.
Secondly, vitamin B6 can be supplemented by changing the diet structure, that is, to ensure a light diet, try to avoid spicy and stimulating foods such as peppers and garlic;
At the same time, we should try to consume as much as possible celery, cucumber and other vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C and vitamin B6, so as to supplement the body with vitamin B6 while improving the body's resistance.
In addition, cooking methods can also affect the amount of vitamin B6 in food. If food is overheated, it can cause vitamin B6 to break down, which reduces the amount of vitamin B6 in food. Therefore, avoid steaming food for a long time during the cooking process.
In addition to these, there are a few things to be aware of when taking vitamin B6 orally. First of all, vitamin B6 should be avoided with boron-containing foods (such as pumpkins, eggplants), in which boron will combine with vitamin B6 to form complexes that the body cannot digest and absorb, thereby reducing the efficacy of vitamin B6.
In addition, vitamin B6 supplementation is generally not toxic to the body when kidney function is normal. However, studies have shown that taking 200mg of vitamin B6 every day for more than a month can lead to vitamin B6 dependence syndrome;
And take 2~6g a day, take it for several months, severe peripheral neuropathy will occur, and the patient will have unstable walking; And this lesion is irreversible, and over time, this symptom will gradually worsen, and even the weakness of the limbs will appear.
Summary:
Vitamin B6 can relieve morning sickness, promote the secretion of amino acids in the body, long-term deficiency will appear skin redness, itching and other discomfort, therefore, timely supplementation is very important.
However, in the process of vitamin supplementation, we must pay attention to avoid taking it with boron-containing foods such as pumpkin, and at the same time, we must also avoid taking it for a long time and in large quantities, so as not to cause nerve damage and affect normal life.
Bibliography:
[1] WANG Yan,WEI Guimei. Effects of vitamin B_6 levels on maternal health and neonatal weight during pregnancy[J].Health for All,2023(07):96-98.)
[2] CHEN Xiaoqian. Observation of the efficacy of vitamin B_6 and alisartan cilexetil in correcting circadian rhythm in elderly patients with non-dipping H hypertension[J].Knowledge of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease,2022,12(34):32-35.)
[3] ZHANG Jiaxin. Vitamin B6 reduces anxiety and depression[N]. Science and Technology Daily,2022-07-21(004). DOI:10.28502/n.cnki.nkjrb.2022.003874.