You may have seen the headline "Health problems due to a vitamin B6 overdose." This includes symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and nerve pain. Long-term use of high doses of B6 can be dangerous, but at the same time, this vitamin is essential. So, what exactly is going on? We've compiled the answers for you.

Different shapes

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is primarily important for metabolism, normal immune system function, and plays a key role in the formation and breakdown of amino acids, or proteins. A vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to anemia and reduced immunity. Vitamin B6 is often found in supplements as pyridoxine hydrochloride, but it can also be found as pyridoxal or pyridoxamine. In the body, all these substances are converted into pyridoxal phosphate, and they all function the same way.

Vitamin B6 in food

Vitamin B6 is abundant in foods like meat, fish, eggs, grain products, potatoes, and legumes. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin B6 is 1.5 milligrams per day, which is roughly equivalent to six slices of whole-wheat bread. On average, we obtain 75% of our total vitamin B6 needs from food.

Excess of vitamin B6

The tolerable upper limit of vitamin B6 is 25 milligrams per day for adults. Before you panic and scan the label of every product in your kitchen cupboard, don't worry, this upper limit is equivalent to about 10 kilos of potatoes and 65 bananas. It's wise to pay attention to the amount of vitamin B6 in the supplements you use to avoid overdose. According to the Commodities Act, supplements in the Netherlands may not contain more than 21 mg of vitamin B6. However, there are still supplements that contain a higher dose of vitamin B6, so always check the label to ensure you're taking a supplement with a safe dosage and be extra careful when combining different supplements. Our gummies all contain a safe dose of vitamin B6. You can find this vitamin in our Hair , Multi+ , Kids , Mommy , and Energy products .

Our advice

Incidentally, it's absolutely not true that you'll immediately suffer nerve damage if you consume a single vitamin B6 surplus. It doesn't happen that fast. What we do advise at all times is not to randomly start taking vitamins, and always pay close attention to the composition of the supplements you purchase. A healthy diet is always paramount!