One of these reactions is the release of stored energy in the form of glucose. This energy is released from two sources in our body: one from glycogen, the other from amino acids. Glycogen is the energy stored in our muscles and liver. Releasing energy from our glycogen stores is an important process that helps to maintain our blood sugar levels. This occurs when we are sleeping, during prolonged exercise, or in between meals, like having a late lunch or a delayed dinner. The second source, amino acids, are the building blocks of protein. Under normal circumstances, amino acids provide only a very small amount of energy in our diet. They are instead needed for many other processes in our body.

B6 is also involved in the production of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages from our brain to other parts of our body. They help to coordinate our actions with our needs, and are a main path of communication inside our body. This supports the proper function of our nervous system.

Here are some of the neurotransmitters and their functions
• serotonin - involved in mood elevation and keeping us happy, influences our sleep wake patterns, and triggers hunger and satiety

• melatonin - also involved in our sleep wake patterns

• histamine - this is our immune systems response to an allergenic, like that itchy red bump many of us associate with mosquito bites

• epinephrine and norepinephrine - better known as adrenalin and noradrenalin. Most of us are familiar with that feeling of fright or flight that we may experience in a stressful, anxious or exciting situation, this is where that feeling comes from.

B6 also helps in the production of healthy red blood cells and is involved in the process of gene expression. Gene expression converts what is programmed in our DNA, into the beings that we are. B6 also helps to control the production of steroid hormones, like estrogen and testosterone.

Not only does B6 have its own agenda of tasks, but it’s also needed to make niacin, or B3, in our body. It helps convert the amino acid, tryptophan, which is a building block of protein, into its niacin equivalents. So if we get enough dietary B6, along with the amino acid, tryptophan, then this can help to substitute our daily niacin intake.

A lack of dietary B6 can effect our body on many levels. The production of energy from stored sources, like glycogen, can be slowed and hindered. This stored energy is used during exercise or prolonged physical demand, so a deficiency in B6 may decrease our performance during physical activity.

A B6 deficiency can also reduce the production of neurotransmitters in our body and this can cause neurological problems. This may include low mood, depression, irritability and sleeping problems. A lack of B6 can also effect our immune system and the production of histamine in response to an allergenic. It can also trigger mouth ulcers.

Not only does a lack of B6 impede on its own functions, it can also effect the function of
niacin, or vitamin B3. B6 is able to produce niacin from the amino acid, tryptophan, but if we are lacking in B6, then this conversion is hindered and so is the production of niacin inside of our body.

A severe B6 deficiency is rare and often comes with other B vitamin deficiencies. It’s seen in undeveloped countries, in malnourished populations, or those with an underlying health problem. It’s also common in alcoholics, as excessive alcohol consumption places an increased demand on our vitamin B intake, B6 included.