Nutritional deficiencies are as important as diseases. Our body needs all the vitamins and minerals to function well and keep you healthy. Vitamin B6 is a very vital vitamin that offers many benefits for the body. It allows uniform oxygen supply to the body, fights infections, allows easy food to energy conversion, thought processing, sleep patterns, etc. In a nutshell, this vitamin manages multiple body functions. Even though it is needed in a small amount but that is essential. This is why identifying vitamin B6 deficiency is not easy. This article is all about the signs and symptoms of Vitamin B6 deficiency.
What is the ideal vitamin B6 requirement?
Per day vitamin B6 requirement depends primarily on your age where kids aged 7 to 12 months need only 0.3 mg a day. As you get older, your body’s need for this B vitamin increases. People aged above 50 need five times the amount that a newborn required. Men should take 1.7 mg of vitamin B6 whereas women must have 1.5 mg. Also, pregnant women need it most and they must take 1.9 mg of vitamin B6 daily.
Signs and symptoms of Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Here are the visible signs and symptoms that are likely to appear on the body when it lacks vitamin B6:
Dry and Cracked Lips
Not only humid and dry weather causes cracked lips but lack of nutrition is also an important factor. If the corner of your lips looks cracked, it may be signalling towards poor vitamin B6 deficiency. Besides, your tongue may also swell a bit.
Also Read: Keep Up With Vitamin D As Its Deficiency Can Make You Susceptible To COVID-19
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness especially in pregnant women is a prominent sign of vitamin B6 deficiency. Vomiting or nauseous feeling in the morning could be due to this reason. Pregnant women must consult their gynaecologist for a B6 supplement.
Rashes on the skin
The signs of B6 deficiency also appear on your skin. There are many chemical changes in your body that may get affected due to nutritional deficiencies and this causes rashes to appear on the skin. These rashes increase over time if the deficiency is not controlled. It may take weeks and months for symptoms to show up.
Brain Fog
Vitamin B6 is associated with cognitive functions. If you are feeling confused, unhappy lately for no reason, you might be lacking this vitamin. Deficiency of B6 can affect your mental abilities and increase the risk of other health complications. However, this is common with aging people.
Also Read: COVID-19 Recovered Patients May Suffer From Brain Fog and PTSD
How can you get Vitamin B6?
There are certain dietary sources of vitamin B6 that you can consider to suffice the requirement.
- Poultry and fish are some of the best sources.
- Starchy vegetables like potato, yam and corn are also rich sources of vitamin B6. Fruits except for oranges and grapes, a cup of chickpeas can provide you with half of your daily requirement.
If you are unable to get this vitamin from food, you can also have supplements to meet the needs. If you find out you are deficient, ask your doctor to prescribe you some supplements to bridge the gap.
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