Too much vitamin B6? Symptoms, causes and the solution
Are you familiar with the bizarre story of Sven Kramer? A nutritionist prescribed him enormous doses of vitamin B6 because he had a deficiency. However, these doses were too high and caused nerve damage, preventing him from skating competitions for a year. Bizarre, isn't it? But how does this work? How much is too much, and what happens to your body? What is vitamin B6 actually good for?
Too much vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is important for several things. It's crucial for metabolism, regulating certain hormones, and is necessary for growth, blood production, and the proper functioning of the immune and nervous systems. Adequate intake is also said to help lower homocysteine and cholesterol levels, which positively influences the heart, blood vessels, and brain metabolism. 1 That's quite a few things. Athletes often take a vitamin B6 supplement because concentration is a crucial factor, especially in competitive sports, and vitamin B6 can help with this. But what if, like Sven Kramer, you get too much vitamin B6?
Symptoms
First, a brief explanation of what exactly you'll notice if you get too much vitamin B6. Sven Kramer suffered a leg injury due to nerve damage. Numbness, tingling, or severe nerve pain in the hands and feet are other symptoms you might experience. You may also experience a decline in your memory and thought processes. Naturally, you want to avoid this, but what should you watch out for?
Causes
To reassure you, a vitamin B6 overdose isn't caused by eating too much of a particular food. The maximum tolerable intake of vitamin B6 is 21 mg per day. This is impossible to get through solid food, as 21 mg is 14 times the daily amount you need. The cause is therefore almost always due to supplements. In Sven Kramer's case, he sometimes even took two dozen vitamin B6 pills a day.
Solution
You might have guessed it already: to eliminate the cause, it's necessary to carefully consider the amount of vitamin B6 supplements. A 2018 law made it impossible to produce supplements containing more than 21 milligrams per day. Unfortunately, current stocks are still permitted for sale, but you really don't need more than 1.5 milligrams per day. So, check the packaging carefully before buying to ensure you don't overdose! Vitamin B6 is also found in various foods such as meat, eggs, fish, bread, legumes, vegetables, and dairy products. A healthy and varied diet should ensure you get enough vitamin B6, but if you still want to supplement and avoid overdose, now you know what to look for.
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