Good Food Sources of Vitamin B6

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

Here's Why:

Vitamin B6 image The body needs vitamin B6 to function. It helps the immune system and nervous system. It also helps us process nutrients. Many foods contain vitamin B6, so it is easy to fit into your diet when you need more.

Recommended Daily Intake (RDA):

Age	RDA (mg)
Age	Women	Men
1-3 years	0.5 mg	0.5 mg
4-8 years	0.6 mg	0.6 mg
9-13 years	1.0 mg	1.0 mg
14-18 years	1.2 mg	1.3 mg
19-50 years	1.3 mg	1.3 mg
51 and older	1.5 mg	1.7 mg
Pregnancy	1.9 mg	n/a
Lactation	2.0 mg	n/a

Here's How:

Food	Serving size	Vitamin B6 content (mg)
Fortified breakfast cereal	¾ cup	0.5 (check Nutrition Facts label)
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	0.2
Potatoes, boiled	1 cup	0.4
Banana	1 medium	0.4
Chicken breast, skinless, roasted	3 ounces	0.5
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)	1 cup	1.1
Beef liver, pan fried	3 ounces	0.9
Turkey, roasted	3 ounces	0.4
Salmon, sockeye, cooked	3 ounces	0.6
Tuna, yellowfin	3 ounces	0.9
White rice, cooked	1 cup	0.1
Squash, winter, baked	½ cup	0.2
Ground beef, patty, 85% lean	0.3	0.3
Waffles, plain, toasted	1 waffle	0.3
Cottage cheese, 1% low-fat	1 cup	0.2
Nuts, mixed, dry-roasted	1 ounce	0.1
Raisins, seedless	½ cup	0.1
Spinach, frozen, boiled	½ cup	0.1
Watermelon, raw	1 cup	0.1
Spaghetti sauce	1 cup	0.4

To raise your vitamin B6 intake:

Sprinkle garbanzo beans on a salad.
Eat a fortified breakfast cereal in the morning.
Slice a banana into your oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt.
Have fish for dinner a few times a week.
Choose brown rice instead of white. Mix lentils with the rice.
For a different sandwich, try peanut butter and banana.
If you take a vitamin supplement, make sure it contains vitamin B6—but no more than 100% of the RDA.

RESOURCES:

Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org

US Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

References:

Pyridoxine. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/drug-monograph/pyridoxine. Accessed February 4, 2020.

Vitamin B6. Office of Dietary Supplements website. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional. Updated September 19, 2019. Accessed February 4, 2020.

Vitamin B6. Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated May 2014. Accessed February 4, 2020.

Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
Last Updated: 2/2/2021

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