Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats (lipids), as well as for normal nerve function and for the formation of red blood cells. It also helps keep the skin healthy.
All B vitamins help the body convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is "burned" to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B complex vitamins, also help the body metabolize fats and protein. B complex vitamins are necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly.
Vitamin B6 helps the body make several neurotransmitters, chemicals that carry signals from one nerve cell to another. It is essential for normal brain development and function, and helps the body make the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine (which influence mood) and melatonin (which helps regulate the body clock).
Vitamin B6 also is necessary for proper absorption of vitamin B12 and for the production of red blood cells and cells of the immune system. Vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin). It is needed to extract glucose from glycogen and cooperates with the activities of amino acids in one's body.
Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin.
This vitamin is important for a number of bodily functions. This includes reducing risk of Parkinson's diseases, aid muscle toning, stabilizing blood pressure and increasing immunity, much like the family of Vitamin B.
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