Vitamin B6 // Pyridoxine

Safety

Although vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin and is excreted in the urine, long-term supplementation with very high doses (excess of 1,000 mg per day) of pyridoxine may result in sensory neuropathy. However, there have been a few case reports of individuals who developed sensory neuropathies at doses of less than 500 mg daily over a period of months. Yet, none of the studies in which an objective neurological examination was performed reported evidence of sensory nerve damage at intakes below 200 mg pyridoxine daily (20).

Tolerable upper intake levels

The European Food Safety Authority has established tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (38):

 Age (years)UL (mg/day) 
 1–35 
 4–67 
 7–1010 
 11–1415 
 15–1720 
 Adults25 

To prevent sensory neuropathy in virtually all individuals, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board has set a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (34):

 Age Group

UL (mg/day) 
 Infants 0–12 monthsNot possible to establish* 
 Children 1–3 years30 
 Children 4–8 years40 
 Children 9–13 years60 
 Adolescents 14–18 years80 
 Adults 19 years and older100 

*Source of intake should be from food and formula only.

Drug interactions

Please note:

Because of the potential for interactions, dietary supplements should not be taken with medication without first talking to an experienced healthcare provider.

Authored by Dr Peter Engel in 2010, reviewed and revised by  Angelika Friedel on 14.06.2017