While there are no "magic pills", there are some super helpful vitamins out there and B6 is one of them. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is considered an "anti-stress" vitamin. Its job is to aid our bodies in maintaining homeostasis.
Prevents feelings of Anxiety
B6 prevents anxiety by helping the amino acid tryptophan convert to niacin and serotonin to promote healthy nerve function. Because of this, it may improve the body's ability to endure stressful situations.
Healthy biological sleep cycles
No more waking up on the wrong side of the bed, being hangry, or mood swings.
Immunity Booster
B6 contributes to red blood cell production and provides immune support by controlling homocysteine, an amino acid found in the body. If homocysteine is too high, it can cause heart disease.
B6 is pretty helpful and because it is not stored in the body, we need to eat foods that contain it, along with other B vitamins, regularly.
Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of some foods high in B6:
And organ meat… but if you follow me, you know I am a big fan of plant-based nutrients.
Liver is the most nutrient-dense organ meat, however, it is high in cholesterol and saturated fat. You also want to be very careful where you source your organ meat from if you choose to eat it. however I don’t plan on eating, nor do I recommend eating organ meat, so I digress.
Here's a not so fun fact if you have Rheumatoid arthritis like me! “People with rheumatoid arthritis often have low vitamin B6 concentrations, and vitamin B6 concentrations tend to decrease with increased disease severity. These low vitamin B6 levels are due to the inflammation caused by the disease and, in turn, increase the inflammation associated with the disease. Although vitamin B6 supplements can normalize vitamin B6 concentrations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, they do not suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines or decreased levels of inflammatory markers.” (more info here)
I hope this information was helpful in helping expand your awareness of B6 and its role in your overall wellness. I challenge you to intentionally add a food high in B6 to tomorrow’s food consumption. Feel free to email me (or DM) with your B6 wins...Or...Have some favorite ways to get your B6 daily value in? Share with me here...