Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Story in the Guardian Oz edition today about supplementing Vitamin B6 causing peripheral neuropathy: https://www.theguardian.com/austral...eet-to-multivitamins-but-a-pathology-test-did
Never heard of that one before, and every reason to be cautious about what newspapers say on health matters, but apparently this is actually a thing.
I like the US Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets for quick summaries of recommendations and evidence. Here's the Vit B6 one: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/ with a quote below.
Apparently the US upper tolerable intake limit has been set at100mg for adults, but in 2023 the EU set a level fo just 12mg "based on systematic reviews that examined associations between vitamin B6 and peripheral neuropathy."
My daily multivitamin has 5mg, and it seems like it would be very easy to go above 12mg if you're also taking other supplement mixes.
Anyway, I guess it's worth checking yr Vit B6 supplement intake if you do have peripheral neuropathy symptoms. The good thing is that it appears to be a reversible cause.
The scientific literature includes isolated case reports of congenital defects in the infants of individuals who took pyridoxine supplements during the first half of pregnancy [7]. However, a more recent observational study found no association between pyridoxine supplementation (mean dose 132.3 ± 74 mg/day) in pregnant people starting at 7 weeks gestation and continuing for 9 ± 4.2 weeks and teratogenic effects in their infants [34].
The FNB has established ULs for vitamin B6 that apply to both food and supplement intakes (Table 3) [1]. The FNB noted that although several reports show sensory neuropathy occurring at doses lower than 500 mg/day, studies in patients treated with vitamin B6 (average dose of 200 mg/day) for up to 5 years found no evidence of this effect. Based on limitations in the data on potential harms from long-term use, the FNB halved the dose used in these studies to establish a UL of 100 mg/day for adults. ULs are lower for children and adolescents based on body size. The ULs do not apply to individuals receiving vitamin B6 for medical treatment, but such individuals should be under the care of a physician.
....
In 2023, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake levels for vitamin B6 [35]. Based on systematic reviews that examined associations between vitamin B6 and peripheral neuropathy, the panel set an upper limit for vitamin B6 of 12 mg/day for all adults, including those who are pregnant or lactating, with lower amounts ranging from 2.2 to 10.7 mg/day for infants and children, depending on age.
Never heard of that one before, and every reason to be cautious about what newspapers say on health matters, but apparently this is actually a thing.
I like the US Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets for quick summaries of recommendations and evidence. Here's the Vit B6 one: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/ with a quote below.
Apparently the US upper tolerable intake limit has been set at100mg for adults, but in 2023 the EU set a level fo just 12mg "based on systematic reviews that examined associations between vitamin B6 and peripheral neuropathy."
My daily multivitamin has 5mg, and it seems like it would be very easy to go above 12mg if you're also taking other supplement mixes.
Anyway, I guess it's worth checking yr Vit B6 supplement intake if you do have peripheral neuropathy symptoms. The good thing is that it appears to be a reversible cause.
Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin B6
High intakes of vitamin B6 from food sources have not been reported to cause adverse effects [1]. However, chronic administration of 1–6 g oral pyridoxine per day for 12–40 months can cause severe and progressive sensory neuropathy characterized by ataxia (loss of control of bodily movements) [10,30-33]. Symptom severity appears to be dose dependent, and the symptoms usually stop if the patient discontinues the pyridoxine supplements as soon as the neurologic symptoms appear. Other effects of excessive vitamin B6 intakes include painful, disfiguring dermatological lesions; photosensitivity; and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and heartburn [1,2,30].The scientific literature includes isolated case reports of congenital defects in the infants of individuals who took pyridoxine supplements during the first half of pregnancy [7]. However, a more recent observational study found no association between pyridoxine supplementation (mean dose 132.3 ± 74 mg/day) in pregnant people starting at 7 weeks gestation and continuing for 9 ± 4.2 weeks and teratogenic effects in their infants [34].
The FNB has established ULs for vitamin B6 that apply to both food and supplement intakes (Table 3) [1]. The FNB noted that although several reports show sensory neuropathy occurring at doses lower than 500 mg/day, studies in patients treated with vitamin B6 (average dose of 200 mg/day) for up to 5 years found no evidence of this effect. Based on limitations in the data on potential harms from long-term use, the FNB halved the dose used in these studies to establish a UL of 100 mg/day for adults. ULs are lower for children and adolescents based on body size. The ULs do not apply to individuals receiving vitamin B6 for medical treatment, but such individuals should be under the care of a physician.
....
In 2023, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake levels for vitamin B6 [35]. Based on systematic reviews that examined associations between vitamin B6 and peripheral neuropathy, the panel set an upper limit for vitamin B6 of 12 mg/day for all adults, including those who are pregnant or lactating, with lower amounts ranging from 2.2 to 10.7 mg/day for infants and children, depending on age.
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