Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin compound that was discovered in 1930s during nutrition studies on rats. The vitamin was named pyridoxine to indicate its structural homology to pyridine. Later it was shown that Vitamin B6 could exist in two other, slightly different, chemical forms, termed pyridoxal and pyridoxamine.
All three forms of Vitamin B6 are precursors of an activated compound known as pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), which plays a vital role as the cofactor of a large number of essential enzymes in the human body.
In women, potential causes for Vitamin B6 deficiency is use of oral contraceptives and other medications containing estro-progestational hormones (such as those prescribed as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy). Other contraceptive medications that may cause Vitamin B6 deficiency include: the patch (Ortho Evra), vaginal ring (Nuvaring), hormonal IUD (Mirena) and shot (Depo Provera). Specifically, habitual use of estro-progestational hormones inhibit absorption of Vitamin B6 (due to a disturbance of tryptophan metabolism), necessitating a larger daily doseage of B6 into the bloodstream.
Signs of a Vitamin B6 deficiency include: depression, anxiety, loss of libido, insomnia, water retention, inability to process glucose (weight loss/gain).
Physicians are now beginning to recommend routine Vitamin B6 administration during hormonal contraception/medication. The use of the tuberculostatic medication isoniazid also causes a Vitamin B6 deficiency, and for this reason, it is recommended to supplement with Vitamin B6 when using these drugs.
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