What is Vitamin B6 deficiency?
Vitamin B6 deficiency is uncommon and is usually associated with low concentrations of other B-complex vitamins, such as vitamin B12 and folic acid. A mild deficiency may have no symptoms, but a more severe or prolonged deficiency can affect immunity and skin health.
Common vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms:
- Anemia
- Itchy rash
- Scaly skin on lips
- Cracks at the corners of mouth
- Swollen tongue
- Depression
- Confusion
- Other skin conditions
- Weak immune system
- Chronic inflammation
- Irritability
- Extremely sensitive hearing in infants
- Seizures in infants
What causes a vitamin B6 deficiency?
- Impaired renal function (end-stage renal diseases or chronic renal insufficiency)
- Kidney disease
- Autoimmune disorders
- Alcohol dependency
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Celiac disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
Further reading: Harvard School of Public Health, National Institutes of Health (1),(2)