What it does
The NIH consumer sheet says the body needs vitamin B6 for more than 100 enzyme reactions involved in metabolism. It also says vitamin B6 is involved in brain development during pregnancy and infancy and in immune function.
What research can and cannot say
The sheet says vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12 supplements can lower homocysteine in the blood, and that this has not been shown to reduce the risk or severity of heart disease or stroke. It also says supplement trials have not shown that vitamin B6 lowers the chance of cancer. A labeled amount is not either of those results.
A vitamin B6 label does not show a change in heart risk, cancer risk, mood, or memory. Pyridoxine is the form name, not a promise.
Forms and label reading
Supplements usually list pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 also appears in multivitamins and in products with other B vitamins. Read the mg per serving on the Supplement Facts panel.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Amount and upper limit
Recommended amount. The NIH sheet lists 1.3 mg a day for adults 19 to 50. It lists 1.7 mg for men 51 and older and 1.5 mg for women 51 and older. It lists 1.9 mg for pregnant teens and women and 2.0 mg for breastfeeding teens and women. Cited sheet
Upper limit. The sheet lists 100 mg a day as the upper limit for adults, counting vitamin B6 from food, beverages, and supplements. It also notes that in 2023 the European Food Safety Authority set a lower adult limit of 12 mg a day. Cited sheet
Safety
The sheet says people almost never get too much vitamin B6 from food. High amounts from supplements for a year or longer can cause severe nerve damage, and those symptoms usually stop when the supplements stop. Other effects of too much include painful skin patches, extreme sensitivity to sunlight, nausea, and heartburn. The adult upper limit is on this page. Some epilepsy medicines and theophylline can lower vitamin B6.
Food sources
The sheet names poultry, fish, organ meats, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and fruit other than citrus.