Vitamin B6

Optimal Result: 3.4 - 65.2 ug/L, or 13.76 - 263.81 nmol/L.

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in over 100 different enzymatic reactions in the body. Many of these are related to amino acid synthesis, fatty acid metabolism and hemoglobin synthesis. Without enough hemoglobin from a vitamin B6 deficiency, the body’s ability to transport oxygen is decreased and anemia results. 

Vitamin B6 also is critical for the release of glucose from glycogen stores; this is why fatigue is one of the symptoms of a deficiency. The vitamin is also important for the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine. 

The immune system, heart and blood vessels, detoxification (methylation) and cognitive health are dependent on vitamin B6.

A vitamin B6 blood test helps determine whether or not someone is deficient in the vitamin, or has high levels. It can give the doctor clues about anemia, heart disease, lack of energy and skin problems.

Normal Ranges for Vitamin B6 in mcg/L:

Adults:  5-50 mcg/L

Critical Range: <5 or >50 mcg/L

Sources: 

  1. http://www.lifeextension.com/Vitamins-Supplements/itemLC004655/Vitamin-B6-Blood-Test
  2. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-B6
  3. https://www.childrensmn.org/references/lab/chemistry/vitamin-b6-assay.pdf 
  4. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088627-overview#a2

What does it mean if your Vitamin B6 result is too high?

Consuming vitamin B-6 through food appears to be safe, even in excessive amounts.

When used as a supplement in appropriate doses, vitamin B-6 is likely safe.

However, taking too much vitamin B-6 from supplements can cause:

  • A lack of muscle control or coordination of voluntary movements (ataxia)
  • Painful, disfiguring skin lesions
  • Heartburn and nausea
  • Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity)
  • Numbness
  • Reduced ability to sense pain or extreme temperatures

Recommendations regarding the daily intake of vitamin B6 in adults are 1.4 mg/day for women and 1.6 mg/day for men with slightly different recommendations for infants, children, adolescents, pregnant and breast-feeding women.

Daily vitamin B6 intake should not exceed 25 mg as an intake of 50 mg/day is associated with neurological side effects. Thereby, pyridoxine, the main B6 vitamer in dietary supplements, is supposed to be the main driver of vitamin B6 toxicity. Elevated plasma vitamin B6 levels are associated with sensory and peripheral neuropathy, leading to progressive sensory ataxia, unstable gait, numbness of the hands and absent tendon reflexes. Furthermore, photosensitivity and mild motor neuropathy have been reported. [L]

Of note, both vitamin B6 intoxication and vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to neuropathy, as in both cases PLP-dependent enzymes are inhibited by pyridoxine.

What does it mean if your Vitamin B6 result is too low?

Vitamin B6 deficiency is characterized by symptoms such as:

- Irritability

- Depression

- Confusion

- Inflamed tongue

- Skin disorders

- Mouth sores

- Sores at the corners of the mouth

- Morning sickness in pregnant mothers

- PMS

Chronic inflammation results in the body when vitamin B6 levels are low. Inflammation that is systemic (throughout the whole body) may be related to cancer, heart disease, PMS, carpal tunnel syndrome, and dementia. When there’s a vitamin B6 deficiency, homocysteine levels will rise as a result and increase the risk for heart disease. 

Some specific causes of low vitamin B6 might be: 

- Malabsorption of the vitamin in the GI tract due to GI diseases

- Diabetes

- Chronic alcoholism 

- Sickle cell disease

- Kidney stones containing oxalates

- Kidney dialysis

- Rheumatoid arthritis

- Liver cancer 

- Medications such as ones for Parkinson’s disease, tuberculosis, birth control pills, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs interfere with vitamin B6 metabolism. 

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.

Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.

With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.

For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.

It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.

There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.

We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.

We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.

Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.