Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin necessary for processing amino acids in the body, which form the building blocks of proteins and some hormones. It is involved in red blood cell metabolism, proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems, and various other bodily functions. (1,2)

There are several compounds that are all considered to be vitamin B6, including pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. All of these can be converted in the body into the active form of the vitamin, so they're biologically equivalent.

While rare, a long-term deficiency in vitamin B6 can lead to skin inflammation and may increase the risk of heart disease. (2,3)

Foods high in vitamin B6 include fish, chicken, tofu, pork, beef, sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, avocados, and pistachios. The daily value (DV) for vitamin B6 is 1.7mg per day. (4)

Below is a list of high vitamin B6 foods sorted by a common serving size, see the nutrient ranking of all foods high in vitamin B6 to sort by 100 grams or 200 calories.

Foods High in Vitamin B6

• 1. Salmon + Add

  Vitamin B6 per 6oz Fillet	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  1.6mg (94% DV)	0.9mg (56% DV)	1mg (61% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Wild Atlantic Salmon. (Source)

  More Fish High in Vitamin B6

  • 104% DV in a 6oz tuna fillet
  • 46% DV in a 6oz snapper fillet
  • 43% DV in a 5.5oz mahi-mahi fillet

  See all fish high in vitamin B6.

• 2. Lean Chicken Breast + Add

  Vitamin B6 in a 6oz Breast	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  1.6mg (92% DV)	0.9mg (54% DV)	1.2mg (69% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Lean Chicken Breast. (Source)

  More Poultry High in Vitamin B6

  • 108% DV in 6oz of ground turkey
  • 81% DV in 6oz of roast turkey breast
  • 33% DV in a roast chicken thigh

  See all meat high in vitamin B6.

• 3. Fortified Tofu + Add

  Vitamin B6 per Cup	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  1.1mg (66% DV)	0.5mg (29% DV)	1.1mg (64% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Extra Firm Fortified Tofu. (Source)

  More Soy Products High in Vitamin B6

  • 24% DV in 1 cup of edamame (green soybeans)
  • 21% DV in 1 cup of tempeh
  • 14% DV in 1 cup of tofu (unfortified)
• 4. Lean Pork Chops + Add

  Vitamin B6 in a 6oz Chop	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.9mg (54% DV)	0.5mg (32% DV)	0.6mg (32% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Braised Pork Chops (Lean). (Source)

  More Pork High in Vitamin B6

  • 37% DV in 3oz of pork tenderloin
  • 33% DV in 1 cup of cured ham
  • 28% DV in 1oz of salami

  See all meat high in vitamin B6.

• 5. Beef (Skirt Steak) + Add

  Vitamin B6 per 6oz Steak	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.8mg (48% DV)	0.5mg (28% DV)	0.4mg (21% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Skirt Steak (Grilled). (Source)

  More Red Meat High in Vitamin B6

  • 41% DV in 3oz of beef roast
  • 28% DV in 3oz of buffalo sirloin
  • 21% DV in a 3oz beef hamburger

  See all meat high in vitamin B6.

• 6. Sweet Potatoes + Add

  Vitamin B6 per Cup Mashed	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.6mg (35% DV)	0.2mg (14% DV)	0.5mg (27% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Mashed Sweet Potatoes. (Source)

  More Vegetables High in Vitamin B6

  • 26% DV in 1 cup of spinach
  • 23% DV in 1 cup of acorn squash
  • 20% DV in 1 cup of peas

  See all vegetables high in vitamin B6.

• 7. Bananas + Add

  Vitamin B6 per Cup Sliced	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.6mg (32% DV)	0.4mg (22% DV)	0.8mg (49% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Bananas. (Source)

  More Fruits High in Vitamin B6

  • 12% DV in 1 cup of mango pieces
  • 11% DV in 1 cup of pineapple chunks
  • 9% DV in 1 cup of honeydew melon balls

  See all fruits high in vitamin B6.

• 8. Potatoes + Add

  Vitamin B6 in a Medium Potato	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.5mg (32% DV)	0.3mg (18% DV)	0.7mg (39% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Baked Potatoes (With Skin). (Source)

  See all vegetables high in vitamin B6.

• 9. Avocados + Add

  Vitamin B6 per Avocado	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.5mg (30% DV)	0.3mg (15% DV)	0.3mg (19% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Avocados. (Source)

  See all fruits high in vitamin B6.

• 10. Pistachio Nuts + Add

  Vitamin B6 per 1 Oz Handful	Vitamin B6 per 100g	Vitamin B6 per 200 Calories
  0.5mg (28% DV)	1.7mg (100% DV)	0.6mg (36% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Raw Pistachio Nuts. (Source)

  More Nuts and Seeds High in Vitamin B6

  • 25% DV in 10 roasted chestnuts
  • 22% DV in 1oz of dried sunflower seeds
  • 9% DV in 1oz of walnuts

  Try to find raw pistachios or walnuts as roasting destroys some of the vitamin B6. See all nuts and seeds high in vitamin B6.

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Vitamin B6 Requirements By Age and Gender

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin B6 ranges from 0.5mg to 1.7mg per day. The daily value for vitamin B6 is 1.7mg per day. (4)

Life Stage	RDA
Infants*
0-6 months old	0.1mg
7-12 months old	0.3mg
Children
1-3 years old	0.5mg
4-8 years old	0.6mg
Males
9-13 years old	1mg
14-18 years old	1.3mg
19-50 years old	1.3mg
50+ years old	1.7mg
Females
9-13 years old	1mg
14-18 years old	1.2mg
19-50 years old	1.3mg
50+ years old	1.5mg
Pregnancy
14-18 years old	1.9mg
18+ years old	1.9mg
Lactation
14-18 years old	2mg
18+ years old	2mg

*The amounts for children less than 12 months old is the adequate intake (AI) not RDA.
Source: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin B6.

Health Benefits of Vitamin B6

• Regulation of Mood - Vitamin B6 is needed for the production of many neurotransmitters, so it could have an effect on mood. Although there is a link between vitamin B6 deficiency and mood disorders like depression, taking vitamin B6 supplements has not been shown to be effective for depression. (5)
• Reduced Homocysteine Levels - Homocysteine is an amino acid that's naturally produced in the body. High levels of homocysteine have been associated with an increased risk of many chronic diseases, including dementia, heart disease, and stroke. Vitamin B6 is needed for the body to break down homocysteine, so getting enough vitamin B6 can help to prevent high homocysteine levels. (5)
• Supporting Long-Term Brain Function - Some studies have shown a link between getting more vitamin B6 and a reduced risk of dementia. However, this effect has not been consistent in the research, and there have been some studies that have shown no effect of vitamin B6 supplementation on the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. (6)
• Alleviation of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) - Studies suggest that consuming vitamin B6 in conjunction with magnesium can help to alleviate symptoms associated with PMS (7).
• Alleviation of mild morning sickness - Vitamin B6 has been shown to decrease symptoms of morning sickness. Other supplements and medications, including ginger, antihistamines, metoclopramide, and ondansetron, have also been found to be effective for this. (8)

Other Vitamin B Foods

• Top 10 Foods Highest in Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Niacin (Vitamin B3)
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B6
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B9 (Folate)
• Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B12

From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.

• Foods High in Vitamin B6
• Foods Low in Vitamin B6
• Vegetables High in Vitamin B6
• Fruits High in Vitamin B6
• Vegetarian Foods High in Vitamin B6
• Nuts High in Vitamin B6
• Grains High in Vitamin B6
• Beans High in Vitamin B6
• Dairy High in Vitamin B6
• Breakfast Cereals High in Vitamin B6
• Fast Foods High in Vitamin B6

View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Related

• Foods High in Magnesium
• Foods For a Healthy Heart
• Foods for Healthy Skin
• Foods High in Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• High Choline Foods
• Foods High in Vitamin B5
• Foods High in Vitamin B9 (Folate)
• Foods High in Vitamin B12

Data Sources and References

1. Al-Tahan J, González-Gross M, Pietrzik K. Vitamin B6 status, deficiency and its consequences--an overview Nutr Hosp. 2006 Jul-Aug;21(4):452-65. 16913205
2. Minović I, Kieneker LM, Gansevoort RT, Eggersdorfer M, Touw DJ, Voerman AJ, Connelly MA, Boer RA, Hak E, Bos J, Dullaart RPF, Kema IP, Bakker SJL. Vitamin B6 in Health and Disease Nutrients. 2020 Sep 4;12(9):2711. doi: 10.3390/nu12092711. 32899820
3. Brescoll J, Daveluy S. Vitamin B group levels and supplementations in dermatology Am J Clin Dermatol. 2015 Feb;16(1):27-33. doi: 10.1007/s40257-014-0107-3. 25559140
4. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
5. Malouf M, Grimley EJ, Areosa SA. The effect of vitamin B6 on cognition Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(4):CD004514. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004514. 14584018
6. Wang Z, Zhu W, Xing Y, Jia J, Tang Y. Folate, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 intake and mild cognitive impairment and probable dementia in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study Nutr Rev. 2022 Mar 10;80(4):931-949. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab057. 34432056
7. Ebrahimi E, Khayati Motlagh S, Nemati S, Tavakoli Z. Evaluating the effect of magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 supplement on the severity of premenstrual syndrome J Caring Sci. 2012 Nov 22;1(4):183-9. doi: 10.5681/jcs.2012.026. eCollection 2012 Dec. 25276694
8. Jin J. Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review JAMA. 2016 Oct 4;316(13):1420. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.14737. 27701662
9. Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet: Vitamin B6
10. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
11. Malouf M, Grimley EJ, Areosa SA. The effect of vitamin B6 on cognition Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(4):CD004514. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004514. 14584018
12. Ebrahimi E, Khayati Motlagh S, Nemati S, Tavakoli Z. Evaluating the effect of magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 supplement on the severity of premenstrual syndrome J Caring Sci. 2012 Nov 22;1(4):183-9. doi: 10.5681/jcs.2012.026. eCollection 2012 Dec. 25276694
13. Jin J. Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review JAMA. 2016 Oct 4;316(13):1420. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.14737. 27701662