Did you know that vitamin B6 (or pyridoxone) is necessary for the body to make enough serotonin?
You might know serotonin as the "happy" neurotransmitter. Increasing serotonin is how many antidepressant medications work, including SSRI's (Prozac/fluoxetine, Zoloft/serotonin, Lexapro/escitalopram) and tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil/amitryptiline, Pamelor/nortriptyline).
But did you know your body makes its own serotonin? And if you are low in Vitamin B6, you cannot make enough. Vitamin B6 is necessary for tryptophan (or 5-HTP) to be converted into serotonin in the human body. Having enough serotonin is important for mental and physical well-being.
Having low Vitamin B6 isn't uncommon, especially if you have an autoimmune condition, use tobacco, or drink a lot of alcohol.
Mood, sleep, and digestion are all affected by low (or high) serotonin levels. Rather than just giving a drug to increase serotonin and walking away, it makes sense to figure out why your serotonin might be low in the first place.
Although not necessarily a frequent problem, having low Vitamin B6 isn't uncommon, especially if you have an autoimmune condition, use tobacco use, or drink a lot of alcohol. Teenagers and young adult women often have low B6 levels, as do pregnant women. People using birth control pills also need extra Vitamin B6. Oftentimes, low vitamin B6 is accompanied by other micronutrient deficiencies, such as low Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels.
Treating low Vitamin B6 with supplements has been shown to improve depression and anxiety symptoms in some studies.
There are biological explanations for many of the mood disturbances that people experience.
All this isn't to say that your anxiety, stress, or depression is definitely caused by a low vitamin B6 level. That would be far too simplistic of a solution for a problem that is complex and multi-factorial. My point is that there are biological explanations for many of the mood disturbances that people experience. And that is great news, because if you find a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner, they can help you figure out what is going on from a biochemical perspective. Then you can fix it and improve your health substantially.
By the way, since 95% of your body's serotonin is produced in your gut, digestive health is of the utmost importance for regulating your mood and overall health. More on this in future blog posts, but for now consider these action steps:
If you think your vitamin B6 levels might be low, talk with your healthcare provider about ordering labs. PLP is a common test to assess Vitamin B6 status, but there are other helpful adjunctive tests that can be ordered as well.
Make sure your Vitamin B6 intake is sufficient. It's a water-soluble vitamin, so unless you're taking super high doses, it's hard to get a toxic amount. Tuna, salmon, chickpeas, and potatoes are some common food sources of B6. Don't exceed 12 mg a day (less for kids). Don't worry, it would be very hard to get this much from food sources alone.
Do what you can to improve digestive health. Eating enough fiber, eating or drinking fermented foods/beverages, and diversifying your diet are 3 simple ways to improve gut health.