Who needs vitamin B6?

What does the body use vitamin B6 for?

All of the B vitamins help maintain blood glucose levels but B6 has other important functions essential for proper body function. The body uses vitamin B6 to produce tryptophan, an important amino acid. Tryptophan is one of the twenty amino acids found in the human genetic code and cannot be produced within the body. Vitamin B6 is also important in the manufacture of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to tissues.

Deficiencies of vitamin B6

Signs of vitamin B6 deficiency include skin inflammation, depression, confusion, sore tongues and convulsions. Vitamin B6 deficiency also can cause anemia similar to iron deficient anemia. It is important to consult a physician about any of these symptoms since these symptoms can also result from several other medical conditions other than vitamin B6 deficiency. Many disorders are attributed to the insufficient intake of the amino acid Tryptophan that vitamin B6 helps synthesize. Among those disorders are schizophrenia.

There have been many investigations into the levels of vitamin B6 and its affect on a wide variety of conditions such as seizures, chronic pain, depression, Parkinson's disease and migraines.

Who is at risk?

Individuals with a poor quality diet for an extended period may benefit from taking a vitamin B6 supplement. Alcoholics may need additional sources of vitamin B6 since alcohol destroys vitamin B6 from the body. Also, older adults are more likely to have insufficient vitamin B6 intakes because their diet may have a limited variety.

Should I take vitamin supplements with food?

Is it important to take vitamin supplements with food? The answer is yes and no. Food helps with the absorption of the vitamins; however, the vitamin supplements may still work, if only to a lesser extent.

It is suggested that vitamins like A, D, E, and K, which are fat soluble vitamins, have some sort of fat, animal or vegetable in your stomach to be absorbed properly. The absorption of vitamins B and C don't seem to be affected as much by the amount of food in the stomach, but taking vitamin B without food can cause an stomach upset so it is still recommended to have at least a light meal. On a side note, vitamin B requires an acidic stomach to properly absorb so taking antacids or other acid inhibitors may decrease their absorption.

Certain types of food to eat before taking your supplements may not be as good as others. For instance, milk and spicy foods can make the stomach upset. Taking vitamin supplements with a heavy greasy meal or one high in fiber may actually decrease the benefits that are received since the meal hinders the absorption of the vitamins.

The timing of the day to take vitamins usually is of little importance. It is best to space out the vitamins throughout the day as much as possible in order to get the maximum benefit.

Also, make sure to also read the directions on the label to see if there are any other instructions so that you get the best from your supplements.

The benefits of taking a vitamin supplement

Eating a healthy diet may not be enough to cover the large number of essential vitamins that our bodies need to routinely make it through the day. Most foods generally contain at least one or more different vitamins; however, no food contains all the vitamins in the correct amounts required by the body. Daily food intake may still not be adding up into what the body requires and this is where vitamin supplements fill in the gap.

Deficiencies

Because human bodies do not store most vitamins, humans must consume them regularly to avoid deficiency. Vitamins A, D, and B12 are stored in significant amounts in the human body for several months; however, others are not stored in the human body in significant amounts, so reserves may only last a short time. Deficiency in any vitamin can have lasting negative impact on your health. Vitamin deficiency can be easily overcome by the regular use of vitamin supplements.

What vitamin supplements to take

Analyzing your diet and accurately prescribing the vitamin supplements to meet your needs can be tricky. The best advice on the subject can be received from a trained health professional or dietary technician. They can determine the exact vitamin supplementation to meet your needs. This can be important since vitamins taken in very large dosages can actually be harmful.

Seeking expert advice will especially benefit those who have very specific needs or those on specific diets. Specific needs can include many disorders such as liver or kidney disorders that may need additional sources of vitamin D.

Vitamins and nutrients are important in order to help us make it through the day. Health is important so our bodies can properly function and react to daily living. Getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals will accomplish this quickly and easily.

What vitamin needs do active younger women need?

Importance of vitamin D and Calcium

Younger active women may have unique vitamin needs. Calcium and vitamin D are important for active women so that they don't get any stress fractures. This is even more important if exercise levels are rapidly increasing from nothing. It's too much, too fast, and the bones can't handle it. Bones can become tired under such stress. After awhile, this stress can build up and cause the bone to crack. Be especially careful of bone stress of the lower legs.

Doing the same activity over and over again such as running, basketball, gymnastics or tennis are hard on the bones. Women are also more likely to suffer from bone fractures from high impact activities.

Vitamin D and Calcium supplements are good sources to maintain a healthy bone structure and cardiovascular system.

Who needs a vitamin A supplement?

Vitamin A deficiency within the United States is under control according to the World Health Organization. However, deficiency can occur among children and adults who do not consume enough yellow and green vegetables, fruits and liver.

Children with low body stores of vitamin A may require supplementation. Vitamin A deficiency is estimated to affect millions of children around the world. The countries with the highest prevalence of children with vitamin A deficiency are in developing countries with Southeast Asia and Africa leading the way.

Also, individuals that have difficulty absorbing fat may also poorly absorb vitamin A. This can occur in people with cystic fibrosis, pancreatic disorders, and after stomach surgery. The liver in healthy adults has the ability to store vitamin A in a reserve for about one year so a temporary or short term difficulty absorbing vitamin A would not be much of a problem. If the problem persists for longer than a year, however, and vitamin A deficiency may result and supplementation may be required. Children may only have enough stores of vitamin A to last several weeks, so children with difficutly abosorbing fat may require immediate vitamin A supplementation.

A steady supply of vitamin A is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women.