Vitamin B6Benefits, Dosage & Interactions
Also known as: pyridoxine
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It serves as a coenzyme for more than 100 enzymes involved in metabolism, primarily protein metabolism, but also carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
Researched by DoseRoutine R&D TeamReviewed for accuracy by Nicholas Alexander, RSELast updated
1 human randomized trial published.
What published protocols report
Ranges documented in the literature, shown for reference. DoseRoutine does not recommend an amount — your prescriber or the product label sets the dose.
- Reported amounts
- Magnesium-vitamin B6 combination trial used 24 mg/day of vitamin B6 alongside magnesium; the Cochrane review of pregnancy trials covered doses from roughly 2.6 mg to 20 mg/day[1][2]
Reported for Vitamin B6 in the cited sources. Published ranges are not dosing advice.
References & evidence
Documents the Vitamin B6 entry is written from. Each number matches an inline marker above.
- [1]Superiority of magnesium and vitamin B6 over magnesium alone on severe stress in healthy adults with low magnesemia: A randomized, single-blind clinical trialPouteau E, Kabir-Ahmadi M, Noah L, et al. · PLoS ONE · 2018 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 30562392
- [2]Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) supplementation in pregnancyThaver D, Saeed MA, Bhutta ZA · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2006 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 16625530
How to track Vitamin B6 doses
Tracking Vitamin B6 well takes four fields and a habit. Here is what to record so the log is still useful in three months.
- 1
Add the dose and unit
Log Vitamin B6 with its dose in mg so totals stay comparable over time — including days when you split the dose or skip it.
- 2
Set the time of day and food rule
Typical timing is morning. Reminders fire at that time and can export to your calendar.
- 3
Check it against the rest of the stack
Run Vitamin B6 through the interaction checker against everything else in the routine — supplements, peptides, hormones and prescriptions — before it becomes a daily habit.
- 4
Log adherence, not intentions
Mark each dose taken, skipped or delayed as it happens. Weeks of honest logs are what make an adherence rate or a trend line meaningful; retrospective guessing is not.
- 5
Review against outcomes
Review Vitamin B6 alongside your logged metrics and any relevant blood work every few weeks before changing the dose, so the change is a response to data rather than to a good or bad day.
What to log each time
- Dose in mg
- Time of day
- Taken / skipped / delayed
- Any side effects or notable changes
References & Evidence
Sources on this page that document Vitamin B6 dosing, timing and safety.
- [1]National Center for Biotechnology Information View source
Educational information only — not medical advice. Dose ranges vary by person, indication and prescriber.
What is Vitamin B6 studied for?
Deficiency-driven — not a performance booster
Vitamins primarily help when you're actually low. Extra doses on top of normal levels rarely add strength, endurance, or fat loss, and some fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can build up to harmful levels.
- Confirm a deficiency with bloodwork before supplementing long-term (e.g. 25(OH)D for vitamin D, B12/folate, ferritin, magnesium RBC).
- Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about the right dose for your labs, medications, and conditions — especially in pregnancy, kidney/liver disease, or while on blood thinners.
- Re-test every 3–6 months and stop or lower the dose once levels are in range.
Educational information only — not medical advice. See our AI & medical policy.
What is Vitamin B6?Sources for this section: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What does the research say about Vitamin B6?
Tap a section to expand.
Source for this section: Sources for How does Vitamin B6 work?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Source for this section: Sources for When should you take Vitamin B6?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What interacts with Vitamin B6?
| Interacts with | Severity | Type | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any vitamin + medication | Note | Category ruleConfidence: theoretical | Certain vitamins interact with specific medications (e.g., vitamin K with blood thinners).Source pending | Specific pairs are checked against a licensed source; confirm with your provider. |
Frequently asked questions about Vitamin B6
Which studies looked at Vitamin B6?
Peer-reviewed research indexed in PubMed. Each entry links to the original record.
- 1.Vitamin B6 in Health and Disease(opens PubMed in a new tab)Nutrients · 2021 · PMID 34579110 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34579110/
- 2.The Role of Vitamin B6 in Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review(opens PubMed in a new tab)Nutrients · 2023 · PMID 37447150 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37447150/
- 3.Effect of magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation on mental health and quality of life in stressed healthy adults: Post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial(opens PubMed in a new tab)Stress Health · 2021 · PMID 33864354 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33864354/
Sources cited on this page
Specific documents referenced by the numbered markers above. Each number matches the marker in the text.
- PubChem CID 104817(opens in a new tab)National Center for Biotechnology Information · pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/104817
Verify at
Publisher search links for Vitamin B6. These are places to check the information — they are not citations, so they are not numbered.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Institutes of Health · publisher search
- MedlinePlus(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Mayo Clinic(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Mayo Clinic · publisher search
- DrugBank(publisher search, opens in a new tab)DrugBank Online · publisher search
- Cochrane Library(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Cochrane · publisher search
- Examine.com(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Examine.com · publisher search
- PubMed literature search(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- DailyMed labeling archive(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Wikipedia entry(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Wikipedia · publisher search
DoseRoutine compiles summaries from publicly available scientific and regulatory references. Always verify important decisions with a licensed clinician. How we source and review this information.
What is the short answer on Vitamin B6?
Plain-text summary, safe to quote verbatim:
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It serves as a coenzyme for more than 100 enzymes involved in metabolism, primarily protein metabolism, but also carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
Cite this page
Using this in an article, AI answer, or research note? Please attribute:
DoseRoutine. (2026). Vitamin B6 — Overview, Benefits & Side Effects. Retrieved from https://doseroutine.com/library/vitamin-b6
What compounds are similar to Vitamin B6?
Others in the vitamin category or studied for the same goals.
Which goals is Vitamin B6 used for?
Other compounds studied for the same benefits as Vitamin B6.
Brain & Cognition
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See every compound DoseRoutine catalogs for these goals.
