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Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient that supports energy and nutrient
How Much Vitamin B6 Do We Need?
Our daily requirement is relatively small.
For women:
- Ages 19–50: approximately 1.3 mg per day
- Age 51+: approximately 1.5 mg per day
- Pregnancy: approximately 1.9 mg per day
- Breastfeeding: approximately 2.0 mg per day Office of Dietary Supplements
These amounts can generally be obtained through a varied diet.
Food Is Not the Same as Supplementation
Vitamin B6 occurs naturally in many foods, including fish, poultry, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, chickpeas, bananas, and other fruits.
For most people, B6 from ordinary whole foods is not the concern. The greater concern is concentrated B6 from supplements and supplemented foods—particularly when several products are taken at the same time.
For example, someone might be taking:
a multivitamin + a B-complex + a magnesium or wellness formula
without realizing that all three contain vitamin B6.
It is the total amount from all of those products combined that matters.
Why Can Too Much B6 Be a Concern?
Health Canada recently reviewed Canadian and international safety information and found a possible association between natural health products containing 10 mg or more of vitamin B6 per day and peripheral neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy involves damage or irritation of peripheral nerves and may cause symptoms such as:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Burning sensations
- Pain in the hands or feet
This does not mean that everyone taking 10 mg will develop neuropathy. Rather, Health Canada now considers this level significant enough that natural health products providing 10 mg or more per day require a warning about peripheral neuropathy.
Health Canada is also reviewing B6 levels in supplemented foods, including energy drinks, reflecting increasing attention to total exposure from different sources. Canada
What About Too Little Vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6 deficiency can also affect health, although true deficiency is relatively uncommon in people eating a varied diet.
Low B6 status can contribute to problems such as anemia, skin and mouth changes, impaired immune function, and neurological or mood-related symptoms. Certain health conditions and medications may also increase the risk of deficiency.
The important point is balance.
We don’t want too little—but taking significantly more than the body requires simply because a nutrient is “natural” does not necessarily provide additional benefit.
The Takeaway
If you take several supplements, take a moment to place the bottles side by side and compare the labels.
You may be surprised by how often the same vitamins appear in several different products.
A regular supplement review can help determine:
- what you actually need
- which ingredients are being duplicated
- whether dosages are appropriate
- whether supplements interact with medications or one another
- what may no longer be necessary
If you develop new numbness, tingling, burning, or pain while taking a vitamin B6-containing product, Health Canada advises stopping the product and speaking with a healthcare professional.
Sometimes supporting your health isn’t about adding another supplement. It’s about understanding what you are already taking.
Anna Dias, N.D.
NaturAnna Health Concept
Sources
Health Canada — Vitamin B6 health products and peripheral neuropathy, Health Product InfoWatch, June 2026. Canada
Health Canada — Proposal to modify the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients (Vitamin B6), October 22, 2026. Canada
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin B6 Fact Sheet.
