Pyridoxine, also known as vitamin B6, is a type of B vitamin that is required by the body for the utilization of energy in the foods we eat, the production of red blood cells, and proper functioning of nerves
. It is found in certain foods and can also be made in a lab
. Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine are all forms of vitamin B6
. Vitamin B6 in coenzyme forms performs a wide variety of functions in the body and is extremely important for protein metabolism, with involvement in more than 100 enzyme reactions
. Vitamin B6 is available in multivitamins, B complex vitamins, or can be sold separately
. Good food sources of vitamin B6 include fortified ready-to-eat cereal, chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, shrimp, beef liver, milk, cheese, lentils, beans, spinach, carrots, brown rice, bran, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, bananas, and whole-grain flour
