Vitamin B6 Status, Deficiency and Its Consequences - An Overview.

Spinneker A., et al.
Nutricion hospitalaria, 2007

Abstract

Background

Vitamin B6 is thought to be a most versatile coenzyme that participates in more than 100 biochemical reactions. It is involved in amino acid and homocysteine metabolism, glucose and lipid metabolism, neurotransmitter production and DNA/RNA synthesis. Vitamin B6 can also be a modulator of gene expression. Nowadays, clinically evident vitamin B6 deficiency is not a common disorder, at least in the general population. Nevertheless, a subclinical, undiagnosed deficiency may be present in some subjects, particularly in the elderly.

Objective

This review gives a complete overview over the metabolism and interactions of vitamin B6. Further, we show which complications and deficiency symptoms can occur due to a lack of vitamin B6 and possibilities for public health and supplemental interventions.

Methods

The database Medline (www.ncvi.nlm.nih.gov) was searched for terms like "vitamin B6", "pyridoxal", "cancer", "homocysteine", etc. For a complete understanding, we included studies with early findings from the forties as well as recent results from 2006. These studies were summarised and compared in different chapters. Results and

Conclusion

In fact, it has been proposed that suboptimal vitamin B6 status is associated with certain diseases that particularly afflict the elderly population: impaired cognitive function, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and different types of cancer. Some of these problems may be related to the elevated homocysteine concentrations associated to vitamin B6 deficiency, but there is also evidence for other mechanisms independent of homocysteine by which a suboptimal vitamin B6 status could increase the risk for these chronic diseases.

PMID:17260529
Category:Vitamins

The best supplements with Pyridoxine in Vitamins category:

Articles similar to "Vitamin B6 Status, Deficiency and Its Consequences - An Overview."

  • The role of Pyridoxine in Vitamins: Vitamin B 6: Deficiency diseases and methods of analysis. (Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is closely associated with the functions of the nervous, immune and endocrine systems...)
  • The impact of Pyridoxine on Vitamins: Vitamin B6 Deficiency: A Potential Cause of Refractory Seizures in Adults. (Objective: In children, vitamin B(6) (pyridoxine) deficiency has been described as a cause of seizures that are refractory to conventional antiepileptic medications... Although refractory seizures caused by vitamin B(6) deficiency are rare in adults, it should be considered in critically ill adult patients with refractory seizures.)
  • The significance of Pyridoxine for Vitamins: Vitamin B6 Deficiency, Genome Instability and Cancer. (Vitamin B6 functions as a coenzyme in >140 enzymatic reactions involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, neurotransmitters, and lipids... Although refractory seizures caused by vitamin B(6) deficiency are rare in adults, it should be considered in critically ill adult patients with refractory seizures.)

Previous article

Dietary Vitamin B 6 Intake Associated With a Decreased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Next article

Vitamin B6: A Challenging Link Between Nutrition and Inflammation in CVD.