Vitamin B6 – Benefits To Aging Baby Boomers

Vitamin B6 – Benefits To Aging Baby Boomers

Baby boomers have always been on the cutting edge of doing. Whatever the subject was, we were there and busy. Today we are older, but it does not matter. Aging baby boomers are still pushing to forge ahead and do what we want to do. Vitamin B6 benefits and aids us with that push.

The problem now is that the body won’t perform like it used to. While we can never regain our youth, there is some hope. That hope lies in keeping our bodies as healthy as possible. That health depends on us providing ourselves with the very best nutrients.

I am convinced that the nutrients we take in should primarily be through dietary intake. However, many times that is just not enough and supplements may be neccessary. Vitamin B6,a water soluble vitamin, is a true supplement that performs a variety of functions for our aging baby boomers bodies.

It helps in protein and red blood cell metabolism including the production of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen and help keep the body oxygenated and is therefore important to the immune system. In addition, concerning the immune system, vitamin B6 aids in the maintenance of the lymphoid organs.

These are organs such as the spleen, lymph nodes and thymus and they act as filters for bacteria. They contain many white blood cells that help destroy the bacteria after it is trapped.

Another accomplishment of Vitamin B6 is that it helps in the function of the nervous system. Neurotransmitters (required for normal nerve cell communication) in the brain are aided in their systhesis process by vitamin B6 dependent enzymes.

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It helps the body produce its own levels of niacin or vitamin B3 drawn from natural dietary intake or supplements. Niacin, in return, helps the body maintain proper blood glucose levels.

It also helps the body in the metabolism of amino acids. Just briefly, amino acids are the building blocks for protein. Protein is an essential part of our bodies and is contained in practically every type of tissue.

Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods. They include fortified cereals, which probably has the highest value, beans, meat, poultry and fish. Most people with normal nutritional diets have sufficient levels of the vitamin.

However, the American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine has reported that ‘Government
surveys suggest that as many as one-third of US adults suffer from vitamin B6 deficiency’. The most often quoted reason is that older adults (aging baby boomers) just do not pay as close attention to their diets as they should.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute recommendation, the average intake of the vitamin for older adults should be approximately 2.0 mg/day.

*People with inefficient diets and who abuse the use of alcohol may find themselves with a deficiency of the vitamin. Another cause of deficiency is due to the over processing of foods which removes much of the B6 vitamin. This deficiency may show up in the form of depression, confusion and a skin disorder called dermatitis.

*One other item to take note of is that a deficiency of the vitamin may allow the level of homocysteine to increase. Study has shown that the increased level of homocysteine may be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke as well as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and osteoporosis. All of these are always a concern for aging baby boomers.

*Large doses of vitamin B6 can cause numbness and possible neuropathy problems.

Let’s recap the specifics

The immune system is strongly supported by helping in the
maintenance of the lymphoid organs.

The nervous system is supported by it’s neurotransmitters being used by vitamin B6 dependent enzymes.

Serotonin ,a hormone produced in the brain and also a neurotransmitter, fights depression and needs the vitamin for it’s production.

Protein metabolism is aided by this vitamin. Protein is required to build and maintain healthy muscles and other tissues of the body.

Homocysteine for instance, an amino acid, is kept in check by the B complex vitamins. It may be linked to dementia, heart disease and stroke.

Supports many enzyme systems.

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