This hard-working vitamin holds many big jobs. It affects your mood, appetite, sleep, and thinking. You need it to fight off infections, turn food into energy, and help your blood carry oxygen to all corners of your body. While it’s actually rare to run low, you really can’t afford to do so.
FLAGGING ENERGY
If your body is very low on B6 (which is rare), you can get anemia, which is too few red blood cells. That would make you feel tired and weak. Anemia can also come from not having enough iron in your body. Shortages of other vitamins, like B12 and folate, also may cause it. Seniors may run low on B6 if they don’t eat enough food or because their bodies don’t absorb nutrients as well as before. Kidney disease and other conditions that keep your small intestine from taking in nutrients also can be culprits. So can alcohol abuse. Some prescription medicines can also cause you to not have enough B6. If your doctor prescribes a new medicine, don’t hesitate to ask about its overall effect on your body.
RASHES
Signs that you lack B6 can show up on your skin. Your body goes through chemical changes. That most often leads to a scaly, itchy rash, usually on your face, called seborrheic dermatitis. The rash may get more and more obvious with time. If you have a minor shortage, the symptoms could take months or years to show up.
DRY, CRACKED LIPS
Your mouth could be a good place to spot any shortage of B6. Your lips might be scaly, and the corners could be cracked. Your tongue might swell.
WEAK IMMUNE
SYSTEM
A shortage of B6 may make it harder for your body to resist infections and diseases. That can turn into a vicious cycle. Cancer and other illnesses can deplete your B6 supply. So you’d need to get even more of the vitamin to make up for that. You can do that easily with a B6 supplement.
NUMB HANDS OR FEET
Do your fingers tingle? Do your feet feel numb? The culprit may be a nerve disorder called peripheral neuropathy. Lack of B6 may help trigger it. It and other B vitamins like B12 are essential to keep your nerves healthy.
CRANKY BABY
A fussy baby could be trying to tell you they’re low on B6. That could happen if you feed your infant nothing else but breast milk for more than about 6 months. Too little of the vitamin can even lead to seizures. It also can make your baby’s hearing extra sensitive so that noises can easily upset them.
MORNING SICKNESS
Moms-to-be need more B6 in their diet than anyone else. If you’re feeling sick with nausea or vomiting (and not just in the mornings), a B6 supplement may help. But you should take it only with your doctor’s guidance.
FOGGY BRAIN
B6 helps regulate your mood and memory. If you notice feeling confused or sad, especially if you’re a senior, a shortage of this vitamin could be the reason. It may make you more likely to get depressed after a stroke, fractured hip, or other major illness. B6 sometimes works in tandem with other B vitamins. If you run low, it may slow your mental abilities.
CANCER
Low B6 may play a role in your chances of having cancer. Researchers don’t know exactly why. But studies have linked a lack of B6 to stomach and esophageal cancers. A lack of the vitamin also may make you more likely to get cancers driven by steroid hormones, such as breast and prostate cancers.
DAILY DOSE
The amount of B6 you need each day depends mainly on your age. Babies 7-12 months old need 0.3 milligrams a day. You need more as you grow. If you’re over age 50, you need at least 5 times as much: 1.7 milligrams a day for men and 1.5 milligrams for women. Pregnant women need it most of all — 1.9 milligrams a day.
SOURCE: PROTEINS
It’s easy to get all the B6 you need from foods. Poultry, beef, and fish are among the handiest sources. Just 3 ounces of tuna pack almost half of what an adult needs each day. The same amount of salmon will supply 30%, and chicken will give you 25%.
SOURCES: VEGGIES AND FRUITS
Love starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and corn. They’re some of the main ways that you can get B6. Fruits are another major source (except for citruses like oranges and grapefruits). One cup of chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, will take care of half of your daily requirement.
SUPPLEMENTS
If you’re unable to get enough B6 from foods, supplements can fill the gap. Most multivitamins have B6, or you can take it separately. Tell your doctor If you’re on any meds or taking other supplements. And go easy on it. Taking too much B6 might damage your nerves or give you sores, heartburn, or nausea. The safe daily limit for adults is less than 100 milligrams.
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BLACK COHOSH: HELP FOR HOT FLASHES
Black cohosh is one of the most well-studied supplements for menopause. It’s made from the root of the North American black cohosh plant. Several studies have found it helps — especially with vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes — when compared to placebo (a fake treatment). But other studies haven’t found a benefit. One warning: Don’t use it if you have liver problems.
FLAXSEED: EASING NIGHT SWEATS
Flaxseed and flaxseed oil may help some women with mild menopause symptoms. It’s a good source of lignans, which tend to balance female hormones. Not all studies have shown these benefits in relieving vasomotor symptoms like night sweats.
CALCIUM: PREVENTING BONE LOSS
Bone loss can become a serious problem once hormone levels drop after menopause. It’s crucial to get enough calcium. Women under 51 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Women 51 and older need 1,200 milligrams a day.
Tip: It’s best to get your calcium from food. If you need supplements to fill the gap, take smaller doses with food during the day (no more than 500 mg at a time). You’ll absorb it better.
RED CLOVER: POPULAR BUT UNPROVEN
Many women use red clover hoping that its natural plant estrogens will help ease some of their menopause symptoms. So far, though, the research results have been mixed.
Despite early concern, recent studies have not shown an increase in uterine cancer when women took red clover for 3 months. But it’s always best to talk to your doctor if you’re concerned.
VITAMIN D: GET SOME SUN
Vitamin D is just as important as calcium for bone health. Without vitamin D, your body can’t absorb calcium. Most adults need 600 IU daily. Those 71 and older need 800 IU per day. Vitamin D is in many foods and supplements, but there’s another source: the sun.
Tip: You may have heard that your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sun. That’s true, but even small amounts of sun can lead to skin damage. It’s best to focus on food and use supplements if you don’t get enough in your diet.
WILD YAM: ALTERNATIVE TO HORMONES
Pills and creams made from certain species of wild yam are popular alternatives to hormone therapy for menopause. Some of the natural compounds in these yams appear similar to estrogen and progesterone, but it’s possible they are not active in people. So far, clinical studies have not found that they ease menopause symptoms.
GINSENG: MOOD BOOSTER
A few studies have found evidence that the different types of ginseng might help improve quality of life during menopause. Ginseng has been shown to boost mood and improve sleep. But so far, studies haven’t found that either American or Korean ginseng helps with physical symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes.
- JOHN’S WORT: CONTROL MOOD SWINGS
St. John’s wort is a well-known treatment for mild depression. But it might also have a special benefit for women during menopause. There’s some evidence — particularly when combined with black cohosh — that St. John’s wort can improve mood and smooth the mood swings tied to menopause.
DHEA: HORMONE OF YOUTH
Natural levels of DHEA hormone drop in our bodies after age 30. Some small studies have found that DHEA supplements ease menopause symptoms such as low libido and hot flashes. The evidence is mixed. Other studies have found no benefit. There is some concern that long-term use or high doses of DHEA may raise the risk of breast cancer.
DONG QUAI: EMPRESS OF THE HERBS
Dong quai has been used in Chinese medicine as treatment for women’s health for thousands of years. But research in recent times hasn’t found evidence to back this up. One study of dong quai to determine its effects on hot flashes during menopause found no benefits. Because dong quai may have some risks, including cancer when taken long-term, check with a doctor before using it.
SOY: WONDER FOOD
Menopausal women in the U.S. are over eight times more likely to have hot flashes than women in Asian countries. Could the soy in the Asian diet explain the difference? Possibly. Studies have found soy to be modestly effective in relieving hot flashes.
Soy foods (such as soy nuts and tofu) and phytoestrogen supplements — estrogen-like compounds found in some plants — are sometimes used to relieve mild hot flashes. The research isn’t conclusive, though.
USE YOUR SUPPLEMENT SMARTS
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any supplements you take. Remember:
All supplements have potential side effects.
Supplements and herbs may interact with some medicines you take. They could boost or negate a medicine’s effect. Or the interaction could cause other problems.
Some herbs can cause allergic reactions.
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