Vitamin B-6 - Good Sources of Nutrients

The U.S. RDA given is for adults except pregnant or lactating women) and children over 4 years of age.

This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to assist you select foods that provide adequate each day amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as You follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines are -

* Eat a Variety of Foods

* Maintain Desirable Weight

* Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol

* Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber

* Avoid Too Much Sugar

* Avoid Too Much Sodium

* If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

What Is Meant By a Good Food Source?

A virtuous food source of vitamin B-6 contains a substantial amount of vitamin B-6 in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA) for vitamin B-6 in a special serving size. The U.S. RDA for vitamin B-6 is 2 milligrams per day.1

The U.S. RDA for vitamin B-6 is the amount of the vitamin used as a standard in nutrition labeling of foods. This allowance is base on the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for 24 sex-age categories set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The 1989 RDA have been set at 1.6 milligrams per time for women 19 to 50 years of age and 2 milligrams for men 19 to 50 years of age.

Where Do Women Get Vitamin B-6?

As you can see, in 1985 and 1986, 32 percent of the vitamin B-6 in the diets of women came from meat, poultry, and fish; 29 percent from fruits and vegetables; and 23 percent from particle products. Foods that contain small amounts of vitamin B-6 but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of vitamin B-6 to an individual's diet if these foods are eat often or contained by large amounts.

Why do We Need Vitamin B-6?

Vitamin B-6, a water-soluble vitamin, help use protein to build body tissue and aids in the metabolism of fat. The stipulation for vitamin B-6 is directly related to protein intake. As the intake of protein increases, the need for vitamin B-6 increases.

Do We Get Enough Vitamin B-6

According to recent USDA surveys, the average intake of vitamin B-6 by Americans be below the RDA. The average intake for women 19 to 50 years of age was roughly 70 percent of the recommended amount. Men tended to enjoy higher intakes than women of indistinguishable age, averaging above 90 percent of the recommendations for men.

How Can We GEt Enough Vitamin B-6?

Eating a mixture of foods that contain vitamin B-6 is the best way to seize an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who guzzle a balanced diet on the odd occasion need supplements. Intakes of vitamin B-6 tend to be low in relation to recommendation, and there aren't that masses foods that are really good sources; thus, it may run special care to ensure an okay intake. The list of foods will comfort you select those that are good sources of vitamin B-6 as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The catalogue of good sources be derived from the same nutritive advantage of foods tables used to analyze information from recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

How To Prepare Foods To Retain Vitamin B-6

Vitamin B-6 can be lost in preparation, cooking, or storage. Cooking losses turn out when some vitamin B-6 is dissolved in the cooking liquid. To retain vitamin B-6:

* Serve fruits unprepared.

* Cook foods in a minimal amount of dampen.

* Cook for the shortest possible time.

* Roast or broil meat and poultry.

What about Fortified Foods? ..........

Most ready-to-eat and instant-prepared cereal are fortified with vitamin B-6. Fortified ready-to-eat cereal usually contain at least 25 percent of the U.S. RDA for vitamin B-6. Since cereal vary, check the sticky label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

What Is a Serving?

The serving sizes used on the account of good sources are simply estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amount of nutrient within a serving depends on the weight of the serving. For example, 1/2 cup of a cooked vegetable contains more vitamin B-6 than 1/2 cup of one and the same vegetable served raw, because a serving of the cooked vegetable weigh more. Therefore, the cooked vegetable may appear on the list while the unprocessed form does not. The raw vegetable provides the nutrient - but freshly not enough surrounded by a 1/2-cup serving to be considered a good source.