Vitamin B6 is one of the vitamins your body can’t store, so it is important to get enough from your diet. Furthermore, if you have a liver, kidney, digestive or autoimmune disease, you may be at risk of a deficiency of this vitamin.
Apart from diet, taking a supplement can also help avoid or correct a deficiency. To choose the right vitamin B6 supplement, go for a product that is made to meet the highest quality standards, like Solgar B-Complex.
If you have kidney disease or a condition that impairs the absorption of nutrients from your small intestine, you may likely be vitamin B6-deficient. Certain medications, like antituberculosis drugs and some epilepsy drugs, can also deplete your vitamin B6 stores. In pregnancy, vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in developing your baby’s brain and nervous system. However, you shouldn’t exceed the amount you need during this period because excess vitamin B6 can cause numbness and nerve damage.
If you are 50 years and younger, it is recommended that you take 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily. After age 50, the recommended daily amount is 1.5 mg for women and 1.7 mg for men. The recommended daily amount is higher for pregnant and breastfeeding women, with pregnant women expected to take 1.9 mg daily and lactating mothers taking 2 mg daily.
You can either take a vitamin B supplement containing other B vitamins or a pure vitamin B6 supplement to meet your needs. Regardless, you should check the amount provided in the product to avoid exceeding the maximum daily intake. Generally, adults older than 18 shouldn’t take more than 100 mg per day, while those between 14 and 18 years should not exceed 80 mg.
Third-party testing evaluates the quality of a product, and it is usually done by an organization independent from the supplement company itself. If you want to ensure that the information on your vitamin B6 supplement package is accurate, you can look for third-party certification on the product label.
This type of certification indicates that the supplement's manufacturing, packaging, labeling and storing adhere to industry standards. Independent testing provided by organizations like NSF International, Labdoor and ConsumerLab can also verify if the product is vegan-friendly, gluten-free or free from genetically modified ingredients.
While some B6 supplements only contain vitamin B6 as the active ingredient, some formulations may include other vitamins and minerals like the other B vitamins and calcium. If you’re pregnant and looking to take a vitamin B6 supplement, you can take your regular prenatal vitamins since they contain the amount of vitamin B6 you need during your pregnancy. However, if you are vitamin B6-deficient, you may choose the pure formulation of vitamin B6, but you shouldn’t exceed the upper daily limit of this vitamin, which is 100 mg.
Vitamin B6 supplements come in different forms, including tablets, capsules and powders. While tablets and capsules are usually easy to take, powder can help you measure your doses more accurately. To make the pill form easy to take, there are great-tasting gummies and flavored dissolvable options that contain vitamin B6.
There are both low-dose and high-dose vitamin B6 formulations. The small-dose formulations come as 25 mg of vitamin B6, while the high-dose option contains 100 mg of vitamin B6 per capsule. Depending on your condition, you can choose to take either option. However, it is recommended that you don’t exceed the maximum daily limit of 100 mg.
When buying your vitamin B6 supplement, a low price point doesn’t necessarily mean the product is inexpensive. The best way to get the actual cost of the product is to divide the cost of the product by the number of servings. On average, B6 supplements cost between $6 and $20 for bottles that contain between 60 and 250 tablets.
A. Taking anti-inflammatory drugs like dexamethasone, prednisone and hydrocortisone and antibiotics like rifampicin, ethambutol and isoniazid can deplete your vitamin B6 levels. You can take a vitamin B6 supplement when using any of these drugs to avoid this deficiency.
A. When you take a vitamin B6 supplement, it may cause nausea, headache, stomach pain and loss of appetite. Taking doses that exceed 500 mg is also not recommended, as this can cause brain or nerve problems.
What you need to know: This vegan-friendly vitamin B-complex supplement contains 100 mg of vitamin B6.
What you’ll love: This supplement contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folate. Solgar is a reputable brand that’s been producing supplements for over 70 years. The tablets are stored in a recyclable amber glass bottle, which is an excellent way to protect the vitamins from deterioration due to heat, light or moisture.
What you should consider: It’s not ideal if you only want to take vitamin B6 and not other B vitamins.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Country Life Vitamin B6 Tablets
What you need to know: With 100 mg of B6 per serving, these tablets give you everything you need.
What you’ll love: This supplement is certified vegan, kosher, halal and non-GMO. You get 100 tablets in a pack, with a serving being just one tablet.
What you should consider: They can’t be split for those who need a lower dosage.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Designs for Health Vitamin B6 Liquid
What you need to know: With a liquid formula, this supplement is easily absorbed and processed by the body.
What you’ll love: This liquid also contains zinc and magnesium, making it more easily converted to a useful form. It has a raspberry flavor that most find palatable.
What you should consider: It’s pretty expensive per serving.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Ayotola Ogunsipe writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
