Vitamin B6 for Kids: Everything You Need to Know

Key Points:

• Kids require vitamin B6 for healthy growth and development.
• Vitamin B6 can’t be produced or stored by the body. Regular intake from food or dietary supplements is needed to maintain adequate levels.
• Choose high-quality, natural supplements to boost your child’s vitamin B6 intake.

As a parent, one of your top priorities is to make sure that your children grow up healthy and strong. The best way to do this is by including all the crucial nutrients in their diet. However, there are so many nutrients that it’s easy for others to get lost in the sauce. Take vitamins for example. The body needs more than 10 vitamins to function well. However, it’s hard to know how to include these important nutrients in your child’s diet.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll explore vitamin B6, an essential nutrient your children need for good physical and mental health. This guide will teach you the importance of vitamin B6 for your kids' health, how much they should get, and the food sources to focus on. If you’re looking for a way to supplement their diet with natural vitamin B6 gummies, we’ll show you how to choose the best vitamin supplements. Let’s dive in.

What Is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin that belongs to the vitamin B complex group of vitamins. The body can’t store water-soluble vitamins because they easily dissolve in water and get lost in urine. Regular intake is key to getting enough water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B6.

The body can’t produce vitamin B6, so you need to get it from food or dietary supplements. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, children usually get enough vitamin B6 from the mother as long as the mother's levels of B6 are enough. But starting in early childhood, kids are at risk of vitamin B6 deficiency due to the change in diet, inadequate absorption, or problems with how the body uses it. 

Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause serious health effects, ranging from depressive symptoms to neurological damage. It's important to understand how to include this key nutrient in your kids' diet.

Why Do Kids Need Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6 packs a variety of health benefits for children:

1. Improves Mood

Vitamin B6 helps to make neurotransmitters —  the chemicals that the nerves use to communicate. Apart from making sure that your child has a healthy nervous system, neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA can help regulate mood and reduce the symptoms of depression.

Vitamin B6 also reduces the level of an amino acid called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels are linked to psychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.

2. Boosts the Immune System

Research has shown that vitamin B6 boosts the immune system by helping produce antibodies and other important immune substances. A strong immune system will help your little one fight off infections and stay healthy.

3. Prevents Anemia

Anemia refers to low levels of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen. Vitamin B6 is needed to create heme, a component of hemoglobin. Low levels of vitamin B6 can cause anemia due to problems with hemoglobin production.

4. Improves Heart Health

Research has linked vitamin B6 deficiency to higher cases of heart diseases. Vitamin B6 deficiency causes a substance called homocysteine to build up. Homocysteine promotes injury of blood vessels and the heart.

5. Makes Your Kids More Energetic

Vitamin B6 helps the body break down foods such as carbohydrates to release energy. Low levels of vitamin B6 may interfere with energy production, making your child less active.

How Much Vitamin B6 Should Kids Take Each Day?

Now that you know about the amazing health benefits of vitamin B6, you might be ready to flood your kids with this wonderful nutrient. However, the key to good health lies in balance and moderation. Too much vitamin B6 is harmful to health, and your child needs just enough. 

The National Institutes of Health recommends the following doses for different age groups:

• Birth to 6 months: 0.1 mg
• 7-12 months: 0.3 mg
• 1-3 years: 0.5 mg
• 4-8 years: 0.6 mg
• 9-13 years: 1.0 mg
• 14-18 years: 1.3 mg

High doses of vitamin B6 may be harmful to your child’s health depending on how much they consume. The side effects of excess vitamin B6 include:

• Nerve damage showing up as numbness
• Nausea and heartburn
• Skin rashes
• Sensitivity to light
• Problems with controlling their muscles

Food Sources Of Vitamin B6

The best way to obtain vitamin B6 is through the diet. The food sources of vitamin B6 include:

• Eggs
• Chickpeas
• Turkey
• Fish 
• Fortified cereals
• Bananas
• Cottage cheese
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Tofu
• Watermelon

Vitamin B6 Supplements For Kids

If your child is a picky eater, you might struggle with getting them to eat foods rich in vitamin B6. Since you don’t want your child to miss out on the health benefits of vitamin B6, vitamin supplements can come in handy. 

There are a ton of multivitamin supplements in the market, and it’s difficult to know which one to choose. Plus, the FDA regulates dietary supplements differently than medication, so you need to review these products carefully. 

Here’s a tip: Only go for products from reputable brands with an established track-record of quality and safety. In addition, look out for these three things when choosing supplements:

1. Quality and safety: Good supplements are made with natural, healthy ingredients with little or no added artificial ingredients.
2. Third-party testing: Third-party testing adds an extra layer of quality control.
3. Dosage: Supplement overdose can have side effects. Read supplement product labels carefully and choose products formulated for children.

Now that you know what to look out for in a supplement, where can you find high-quality supplements for your child? 

We’re here to help. Llama Naturals is here so kids can get healthy gummy vitamins. Our whole fruit gummy vitamins are made from real fruit and vegetables and slow-cooked to retain their goodness. Let’s see how our plant based vitamin supplements check all the boxes.

Llama Naturals Multivitamin Gummies for Kids: Great Taste and Effective

Look no further for all-natural multivitamin supplements with an amazing taste that your kids will love. Llama Naturals’ plant-based multivitamin gummies are made with whole fruit, no added sugar, and plant-based vitamins. 

Our gummies are packed with 13 essential vitamins naturally sourced for optimal absorption. Our gummies are a rich source of vitamin B6, B1, B2, and B12, plus vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, and other healthy nutrients your child needs.

The gummies are slow-cooked on low heat to retain the rich phytonutrients and fruit flavor. And the story doesn’t stop there. Our gummies contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or any of that fake stuff. Yet, they still taste delicious. Our products are carefully crafted to strike the perfect balance between healthy and delicious. With Llama Naturals, healthy doesn't have to be boring. 

Disclaimer: Consult your child’s pediatrician or your preferred healthcare provider for medical advice before using multivitamin supplements, especially if your child suffers from underlying medical conditions.

Make Sure Your Child Gets the Right Amount of Vitamin B6

Nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing your child healthy, happy, and energized. Vitamin B6 is one of those gems your little one requires for healthy growth and development. So, always ensure that your child gets the right amount of vitamin B6.

If you're looking for somewhere to start, consider Llama Naturals' whole fruit multivitamin gummies, which includes vitamin b6. Our gummies are packed with natural plant-based vitamins and contain no added ingredients. Choose Llama Naturals for the perfect boost to your child's health.

 

Llama Naturals is a plant-based nutrition brand that has created the World's First Whole Fruit Gummy Vitamins that are made with no added sugar and whole-food vitamins. They are USDA Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free, free of common allergens, and are slow-cooked on low heat to retain rich phytonutrients & fruit flavor. It’s a win-win gummy vitamin that you and the family will love.