The modulation of mood is significantly aided by vitamin B6. This is partially due to the fact that this vitamin is required for the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, which control emotions (GABA). High blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which have been connected to depression and other mental conditions, may be reduced by vitamin B6. Studies have indicated that low blood levels and intakes of vitamin B6 are linked to depressive symptoms, particularly in older persons who are at a higher risk for B vitamin insufficiency.

In one research of 250 senior citizens, it was shown that low blood levels of vitamin B6 more than quadrupled the risk of depression. The effectiveness of vitamin B6 in treating or preventing depression, however, has not been shown. In a controlled two-year trial including about 300 older men who were free of depression at the beginning, it was discovered that supplement users of vitamins B6, folate (B9), and B12 were no less likely than the placebo group to experience depressive symptoms.

Although there is contradictory evidence, vitamin B6 may help with brain health and Alzheimer's disease prevention. On the one hand, B6 can lower high blood levels of homocysteine, which may raise the risk of Alzheimer's. One research demonstrated that taking high doses of B6, B12, and folate (B9) lowered homocysteine and reduced wasting in specific parts of the brain that are prone to Alzheimer's disease in 156 persons with high homocysteine levels and mild cognitive impairment. It's not clear, though, whether a drop in homocysteine corresponds to better brain health or a slower pace of cognitive decline.

High dosages of vitamins B6, B12, and folate were shown to lower homocysteine levels but had no effect on the pace of loss in brain function when compared to a placebo in a randomized controlled study including more than 400 persons with mild to severe Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, a review of 19 research found no evidence that taking supplements of B6, B12, and folate separately or together reduced the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or improved cognitive performance. To fully comprehend the role of vitamin B6 in enhancing brain health, further study on the impact of this vitamin on homocysteine levels and cognitive performance is required.

Vitamin B6 may be useful in preventing and treating anemia brought on by a deficiency because of its part in the synthesis of hemoglobin. A molecule called hemoglobin transports oxygen to your cells. Your cells don't receive enough oxygen when your hemoglobin level is low. As a result, you can become anemic and experience fatigue or weakness. Low vitamin B6 levels have been associated with anemia in studies, particularly in pregnant and childbearing women. There has been little study on utilizing vitamin B6 to treat anemia since vitamin B6 deficiency is regarded to be uncommon in the majority of healthy persons.

Anemia caused by low B6 levels in a 72-year-old woman's case study was treated with the most potent form of vitamin B6, which reduced symptoms. Taking 75 mg of vitamin B6 daily during pregnancy reduced anemia symptoms in 56 pregnant women who did not respond to iron therapy, according to another research. The usefulness of vitamin B6 in treating anemia in groups other than those at higher risk for B vitamin insufficiency, such as pregnant women and older persons, requires further study.

Premenstrual syndrome or PMS, symptoms including anxiety, despair, and irritability have been treated with vitamin B6. Because it plays a part in the production of neurotransmitters that control mood, researchers believe that vitamin B6 helps with emotional symptoms associated with PMS. In a three-month trial involving more than 60 premenopausal women, it was shown that 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily reduced PMS symptoms of fatigue, irritability, and sadness by 69%. However, women who got a placebo also reported improved PMS symptoms, indicating that there may have been some placebo effect at play when it came to the efficiency of the vitamin B6 supplement.

Another small research discovered that taking 50 mg of vitamin B6 and 200 mg of magnesium every day for the duration of one menstrual cycle greatly decreased PMS symptoms, such as mood swings, impatience, and anxiety. These results are encouraging, although they are constrained by the small sample size and brief duration. Before suggestions can be given, more study on the security and efficiency of vitamin B6 in reducing PMS symptoms is required.

For many years, pregnant women have utilized vitamin B6 to relieve morning sickness and vomiting. In reality, it is a component of Diclegis, a drug frequently used to alleviate morning sickness. Morning sickness may be helped by vitamin B6, which plays multiple important functions in supporting a healthy pregnancy, but researchers are unsure of why. After five days of therapy, a daily dosage of 30 mg of vitamin B6 significantly decreased nausea symptoms compared to a placebo in research including 342 pregnant women in the first 17 weeks of their pregnancies.

Another research evaluated the effects of ginger and vitamin B6 on 126 pregnant women's bouts of nausea and vomiting. The findings demonstrated that, after four days, consuming 75 mg of B6 daily reduced symptoms of nausea and vomiting by 31%. According to this research, morning sickness can be effectively treated with vitamin B6 even for shorter periods of time than a week. Before beginning any supplements, discuss taking B6 with your doctor if you want to use it to treat morning sickness.

Vitamin B6 may lessen the risk of heart disease and clear blocked arteries. According to research, persons with low blood levels of vitamin B6 are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those with high amounts of the vitamin. This is probably a result of B6's ability to lower excessive homocysteine levels linked to a number of disease processes, including heart disease. According to one study, homocysteine exposure resulted in lesions that might clog arteries in rats without enough vitamin B6. These lesions were not present in homocysteine-exposed rats with appropriate vitamin B6 levels.

B6 is effective in avoiding heart disease, according to a human study. In a randomized controlled experiment, individuals were split into two groups and given either a placebo or 250 mg of vitamin B6 and 5 mg of folic acid daily for two years in 158 healthy adults who had relatives who had heart disease. In comparison to the placebo group, the B6 and the folic acid group saw lower homocysteine levels and fewer abnormal cardiac tests during exercise, putting them at a decreased overall risk of developing heart disease.

Getting enough vitamin B6 may help reduce your chance of getting some cancers. It is unknown why B6 may help prevent cancer, but experts believe it has something to do with the antioxidant's capacity to combat inflammation, which has been linked to both cancer and other chronic diseases. Both appropriate food consumption and blood levels of B6 were linked to decreased chances of colorectal cancer, according to a study of 12 research. The chance of acquiring this kind of cancer was nearly 50% reduced in people with the highest blood levels of vitamin B6.

Additionally, studies on vitamin B6 and breast cancer link healthy blood levels of the vitamin to a lower risk of the illness, particularly in postmenopausal women. Other research on vitamin B6 levels and the risk of cancer, however, has not discovered any correlation. To determine the precise function of vitamin B6 in cancer prevention, further study is required, including randomized trials in addition to observational studies.

Vitamin B6 may help prevent eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, a condition that causes vision loss in older people (AMD). High blood levels of circulating homocysteine have been related in studies to a higher risk of AMD. Getting enough vitamin B6 may minimize your chance of developing this illness since it lowers high blood levels of homocysteine. In comparison to a placebo, taking a daily combination of vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid (B9) significantly reduced AMD risk by 35–40% throughout the course of seven-year research including more than 5,400 female health professionals.

While these findings imply that B6 could help prevent AMD, it's unclear if B6 by itself would have the same positive effects. Low blood levels of vitamin B6 have also been related in studies to eye problems that obstruct veins that go to the retina. The lowest blood levels of B6 were shown to be strongly related to retinal diseases in a controlled investigation including more than 500 individuals.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms could be lessened by vitamin B6. Low amounts of vitamin B6 may be caused by the high levels of inflammation brought on by rheumatoid arthritis. It's not known, though, if B6 supplements help patients with this illness experience less inflammation. In a 30-day trial involving 36 rheumatoid arthritis-afflicted people, 50 mg of vitamin B6 per day rectified low blood levels of the vitamin but did not reduce the body's synthesis of inflammatory chemicals.

In contrast, research on 43 rheumatoid arthritis-suffering people found that those who got 100 mg of vitamin B6 daily together with 5 mg of folic acid had considerably reduced levels of pro-inflammatory molecules after 12 weeks. The disparity in vitamin B6 dosage and research duration may be the cause of these studies' inconsistent findings. More study is required, however, it seems that taking high doses of vitamin B6 pills over time may help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers reduce their symptoms of inflammation.