Many people are deficient in vitamin B6 even though they exceed the recommended daily allowance, a new study has found.
US researchers analysed blood samples from 7,822 men and women and found that 11 per cent of supplement users and nearly a quarter of non-users had inadequate levels of vitamin B6.
The vitamin is important for the proper functioning of red blood cells and for a healthy immune system and blood glucose levels.
Dr Martha Savaria Morris, an epidemiologist at Tufts University, commented: "Across the study population, we noticed participants with inadequate vitamin B6 status even though they reported consuming more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B6, which is less than 2mg per day.
"We also identified four subgroups where this trend seemed most prominent - women of reproductive age, especially current and former users of oral contraceptives, male smokers, non-Hispanic African-American men, and men and women over age 65," she revealed.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Dr Morris concluded: "The question our study raises is whether, due to aging, genetics, or exposures, some population subgroups need supplements to achieve the current biochemical definition of adequate status."
Many people are deficient in vitamin B6 even though they exceed the recommended daily allowance, a new study has found.
