Your questions about B6 answered....

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What is B6?

So wait, Vitamin B6 has 6 different names!?

Isn't B6 an essential vitamin? And what does that even mean?

What's the difference between the different Vitamin B6 forms?

How can I tell if my energy drink/supplement has B6?

How much is safe?

What's the big deal with B6?

How do I know if I have Vitamin B6 toxicity?

Why haven't I heard about this before?

Who gains from this?

How long does it take you to get B6 toxicity?

What is B6?

Vitamin B6 is a specific group of molecules that your body needs for a bunch of important stuff - like making brain chemicals, breaking down proteins, and keeping your nervous system running smoothly.

140 individual reactions – including amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis and glucose production5 - run faster and more efficiently6, like oil or grease in a car engine

So wait, Vitamin B6 has 6 different names!?

Technically, yes, Vitamin 6 has 6 different names.

But this is because there are 6 different molecules that are referred to as Vitamin B6.

These include:

Pyridoxine (PN)
Pyridoxamine (PM)
Pyridoxal (PL)
Pyridoxine phosphate (PNP)
Pyridoxamine phosphate (PMP)
Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)

So when you are checking the ingredient lists of you vitamins and energy drinks, these are the names to look out for!

Fun fact - we call each of these molecules a "vitamer".

Isn't B6 an essential vitamin? And what does that even mean?

Here is where you can write the answer to that question.

What's the difference between the different Vitamin B6 forms?

Generally, there are two forms of the B6 vitamers - an "active" (phosphorylated) and "inactive" form, determined by their structure.

Our bodies have multiple mechanisms to be able to convert B6 between it's different forms, but generally, it prefers to have it it in the PLP form.

(Parra et al, 2018)

And such, PLP appears to be a vital ingredient in many of the chemical reactions that allow your body to function. This is also why we refer to it as the bioactive form.

How can I tell if my energy drink/supplement has B6?

There are currently three forms of vitamin B6 available in pharmacauticals (ie your vitamins):

pyridoxine hydrochloride
pyridoxal 5-phosphate
pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate

But also keep an eye out for the other forms of B6 which may be in your energy drinks:

Pyridoxine (PN)
Pyridoxamine (PM)
Pyridoxal (PL)
Pyridoxine phosphate (PNP)
Pyridoxamine phosphate (PMP)
Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)

How much is safe?

Most people only need a tiny amount of vitamin B6 — about 1 to 2 milligrams a day, which you easily get from food.

Being deficient in B6 is really rare and doesn't have any major effects on you.

But many supplements and energy drinks have much higher doses, and taking too much for a long time can be harmful.

The TGA (the Australian authority that regulates medicines) has recently said that there is no safe level of supplementation for Vitamin B6. And just to clarify, supplementation means in addition to your normal diet - so it isn't a good idea to have any more B6 than what is in your diet.

What's the big deal with B6?

Vitamin B6 helps your body’s nerves and metabolism work properly — so it’s important, but more isn’t better.

Taking large amounts every day can actually damage your nerves instead of helping them.

How do I know if I have Vitamin B6 toxicity?

When there’s too much B6 in your body for too long, it can hurt your nerves — especially in your hands and feet.

You might get tingling, numbness, or burning pain, and sometimes the damage doesn’t fully go away.

Why haven't I heard about this before?

Because it’s new and surprising.

For years, people thought you couldn’t get too much B6.

But doctors are now seeing more cases because supplements and energy drinks have become so common.

But honestly, we need more research to better understand B6 - since we thought it was safe for so long, no one thought to fund research into it!

Who gains from this?

Mostly, supplement companies and energy drink brands.

They make money by adding lots of vitamins — like B6 — and marketing them as “healthy,” “energising,” or “good for focus.”

But the truth is, most people don’t need that much B6, and the companies profit from selling more, not from keeping doses safe.

How long does it take you to get B6 toxicity?

If we're being really honest, the jury is still out on this question. There honestly isn't a massive burden of evidence about what is safe with B6 so best we can say is that it’s not instant — it usually happens after months or years of taking high-dose products every day.

The tricky part is that you don’t feel it building up, so by the time symptoms start, it can already be serious.

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