A multivitamin is a good way to ensure adequate vitamin B6.
We are told by medical experts that vitamin supplements are not necessary and we acquire all the nutrients we need from food. In fact the more cynical amongst us may claim that there is even the possibility of a concerted effort within the mainstream establishment to discredit dietary supplements. However there is good evidence within the nutritional literature to show that dietary vitamins and minerals are required as supplements to the diet because many foods that are commonly eaten are low or devoid of such essential elements. This may be particularly true for at risk groups who have increased needs for particular vitamins. One such group are pregnant women who are accepted to require higher intakes of vitamin B6. The Western diet does not supply adequate amounts of vitamin B6 which may leave pregnant women who consume the it at risk of poor vitamin B status. The Western diet is devoid of meaningful levels of vitamin B6 because the grain is refined and the milling process removes the vitamin B6 content.
Supplements may therefore be necessary for pregnant women in order to achieve suitable vitamin B6 levels., because foods are unable to raise plasma levels sufficiently. Indeed, evidence from the literature shows that supplemental vitamin B6 raises plasma levels of the vitamin in a dose response manner in pregnant women with poor vitamin status. For example, in one study, researcher investigated the effects of incrementally larger intakes of vitamin B6 on the breast milk concentrations of vitamin B6 in mothers and the subsequent vitamin B6 intake in their infants1. Mothers not taking supplemental vitamin B6 had lower concentrations of the vitamin in their breast milk and their infants had lower intakes in their diet, compared to supplemented groups. Supplementation of vitamin B6 at 2.5, 10 and 20 mg pyridoxine caused an incremental increase in both milk concentrations and the intakes of the infants. Therefore vitamin B6 concentration of human milk and the intake of infants can be increase through vitamin B6 supplements.
In another study, supplementation of pregnant subjects with 2 to 2.5 mg of pyridoxal phosphate failed to raise the plasma levels above the recommended lower levels for pregnancy (4.7 ng/mL)2. When 10 mg of pyridoxal phosphate was administered, only 7 of the 11 subjects managed to attain plasma levels above the recommended minimum. The authors concluded that supplementation with more than 2.5 mg per day of vitamin B6 is required to restore normal vitamin B6 plasma levels in those with poor status. The 10 mg required to raise the plasma levels in this study are very unlikely to be obtained from food even if eating foods rich in vitamin B6. In a similar study that measured the vitamin B6 status of women during pregnancy, the authors concluded that more than 4 mg per day was required to restore adequate levels, which was above the amount that was being supplied by food in the subjects diets3. These data add more evidence to show that vitamin B6 supplements are necessary during pregnancy due to the inability of our food to supply daily needs.
