Medical science is continuing to dig deeper into the link between nutrition and health. This means we are getting an ever-clearer picture of the benefits of being purposeful in what we consume. A great example of this is the increased understanding of the benefits of p-5-p.
What is p-5-p?
That is the abbreviation for pyridoxal phosphate (also sometimes referred to as PLP). It is an active form of a vitamin you will already be familiar with – vitamin B6.
The importance of vitamin B6 is much discussed, as it is a water-soluble nutrient that supports our immune function, as well as heart and brain health. It could also play a role in blood glucose control, among other things
There are six chemical categories within vitamin B6, which are collectively referred to as pyridoxal. One of these six categories is pyridoxal phosphate (p-5-p). It is this form of the vitamin that is being widely researched as a way to treat- as well as prevent - certain illnesses.
This article discusses the importance of vitamin B6 in general. It will also explain more fully what pyridoxal phosphate is, and the reasons to consider p-5-p supplements as a preventative measure or treatment option.
We will also look at the effects of B6 deficiency, the recommended amount of this vitamin, natural B6 sources and potential p-5-p side effects.
What does an active form of vitamin B6 mean?
What normally happens is that the various forms of B6 we eat in our food are converted into pyridoxal phosphate in our liver. This is the 'usable' type of this vitamin, which then can be transported around in our bloodstream, to carry out its many functions.
This is an important starting point for understanding the benefits of p-5-p supplements. They provide you with the active form of B6 as soon as you take them.
You will find some off the shelf supplements that include B6 in their ingredients don't mention p-5-p. Instead, they include a less active form of the vitamin, that is cheaper to reproduce.
Once you consume these supplements, your liver still needs to do the work of converting the inactive forms of B6 into the active version (pyridoxal phosphate).
This is something your liver may not be able to achieve quickly or effectively. Resulting in some of the B6 you ingested being eliminated from your body without having a significant health impact.
This is particularly true in your autumn years, as our body’s ability to process nutrients declines as we age.
Alternatively, you can seek out supplements that contain pyridoxal phosphate, not just 'generic' B6.
Making sure you get p-5-p takes the pressure off your liver to produce the active form of B6. It also provides you with a regular, measurable amount of the bioavailable version of B6.
This p-5-p would be quickly absorbed into your bloodstream, ready to ‘go to work’ carrying out the essential roles of B6.
Why is it so important to be sure you get enough usable B6 daily?
What are the health benefits of vitamin B6?
There are many reasons to make sure you get the recommended daily amount of B6 – potentially as a p-5-p supplement.
B6 enables your body to properly digest and use:
• Amino acids- our muscles' building blocks and responsible for healing.
• Carbohydrates – a major biological ‘fuel’ source.
• Lipids - the organic compounds our bodies need, including healthy fats.
That means B6 helps our bodies to produce and repair nerve and muscle cells, DNA and RNA, and release energy from our food.
It is also linked to the production of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. It then delivers carbon dioxide back to your lungs to be exhaled. The crucial link between B6 and having sufficient haemoglobin means that this vitamin helps to prevent – and possibly treat – anaemia, as we discuss below.
More reasons vitamin B6 is so important
There are more health benefits to vitamin B6 and therefore p-5-p too.
Homocysteine and cardiovascular health
Alongside other types of B vitamins and some minerals, B6 protects us against developing high homocysteine levels. This is when a particular type of amino acid grows in density, increasing the risk of blood clots that can block arteries and also lead to narrowing arteries. Clearly the sort of issues that cause potentially fatal heart conditions.
B6 and our immune system
How does having sufficient vitamin B6 protect your immune function?
The way B6 contributes to our red blood cell count – and the amount of oxygen travelling around our body – is central to its role in supporting our immune system. However, it also supports the production of white blood cells and T cells too, which both regulate our immune responses.
Added to this, vitamin B6 helps to maintain our access to amino acids, which in turn help us to heal.
Links between B6 and mental health
There is also evidence that this hard-working and diverse nutrient plays a role in our mental health. That’s because vitamin B6 is linked to the regulation of serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid production. These neurotransmitters control mood and pain perception, for example.
The role of B6 in brain function and eye health
All of the above benefits of B6 are linked to its role in supporting brain health too. This is because it is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells
There is a view that this is a vitamin that improves brain function and helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (though this is still part of the intense research into this condition).
To be clear, there is no firm evidence yet that taking p-5-p regularly is a way of avoiding neurological conditions associated with ageing. However, there is a possibility that too little B6 in all its forms could increase the risk of cognitive decline.
On the topic of age-related illnesses, there is also work underway to map the effect B6 has on eye health.
Are there natural sources of p-5-p?
Supplements containing pyridoxal phosphate are a shortcut, to help you quickly benefit from a bioavailable form of B6. As mentioned above, normally, p-5-p is produced by our liver.
The human bowel contains bacteria that are able to produce some vitamin B6. However, most of what we need comes from what we eat and the work of our liver to convert it into its usable, active form.
What is the NRV of vitamin B6 in general? The UK’s Nutritional reference values of B6 is 1.4mg.
Foods that contain vitamin B6 include meat, fish, vegetables and grains. Especially rich sources of this vitamin include liver, brewer’s yeast, chickpeas, walnuts, tuna, salmon, bananas and even the humble potato.
You will also find vitamin B6 in the ingredients used to fortify some foodstuffs in some countries, such as breakfast cereals.
What are the effects of B6 deficiency?
As its roles show, we need B6 to regulate many of our biological functions. So, it stands to reason a diet that provides an insufficient amount could lead to a variety of health issues.
This includes poor mood and anxiety. One study concluded that B6 deficiency can significantly increase your risk of depression.
Also, the role B6 has in supporting haemoglobin production does mean that a deficit in this nutrient could lead to blood-related health issues. Several studies have connected low levels of vitamin B6 with anemia. Particularly in pregnant women.
Perhaps the most serious risk of too little B6 in your diet is connected to its role in regulating homocysteine levels. If you have insufficient amounts of this vitamin, the likelihood of a blood clot or narrowing arteries increases.
In fact, one research project concluded that people with poor levels of vitamin B6 had almost double the risk of getting heart disease, compared to those with high levels of B6.
Also, low levels of vitamin B6 have been observed in people with a wide range of other health issues, such as autoimmune disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and diabetes. There is also a view that insufficient B6 in your diet could lead to increased anxiety – including panic attacks – and insomnia.
By reviewing the list of vitamin B6 functions included in this article, it is easy to see why insufficient amounts may potentially lead to diverse problems, from low energy levels to increased risk of serious cardiovascular and neurological conditions. Especially coronary artery disease.
Interestingly, there is a view that the inflammation caused by severe rheumatoid arthritis could reduce the amount of B6 our bodies have available. Creating some of the health risks outlined above.
Further research is now needed, to see if this process can be reversed. Would increasing the intake of B6 – including p-5-p supplements - alleviate inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis?
Finally, there have been studies looking at B6 deficiency and some forms of cancer. In particular pancreatic and cervical cancers. A study of pancreatic cancer patients published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that 26 per cent may have been preventable if p-5-p supplements had been used by the patients to balance their B6 levels.
The treatment potential of p-5-p supplements
Some of the health problems outlined above demonstrate how important it is to get enough vitamin B6, including via p-5-p supplements.
They also illustrate the growing interest in ways to use pyridoxal phosphate supplements as a treatment, as well as a preventative measure.
Though vitamin B6 in all its forms is essential to health, it has so far been difficult to unequivocally show that p-5-p provides wide-ranging advantages above and beyond standard pyridoxal.
However, as mentioned above, taking supplements that contain pyridoxal phosphate does give you a measured dose of B6 that is bioactive and easily absorbed into your bloodstream.
This is one of the reasons that the medicinal properties of p-5-p are of great interest and are being investigated globally. The importance being placed on p-5-p supplements also explains why it is already on the World Health Organisation's List of Essential Medicines.
What medical therapeutic uses have been found for p-5-p supplements so far?
Treating anaemia and morning sickness
One of the widely held beliefs to date is that pyridoxal phosphate could help treat anaemia by increasing haemoglobin production. It is also believed to be a way of tackling the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), due to its ability to impact positively on neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
Some practitioners use B6 to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy but the effect p-5-p has on ‘morning sickness’ still requires further research.
B6, pyridoxal phosphate and childhood epilepsy
This is certainly one way B6 can be used as a treatment, not just a preventative measure. In fact, the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH) and its clinical partner Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) refer to B6 as a “lifesaver for children with severe epilepsy”.
They also said: “Children with vitamin B6-dependent epilepsy require more vitamin B6 than most children.”
Investigations are underway to chart whether some forms of this vitamin have an improved ability to treat epilepsy in children. There is evidence to suggest that some classifications of childhood epilepsy respond better to p-5-p supplements, rather than inactive forms of the vitamin.
Could p-5-p tackle age-related vision loss?
Also, as referenced above B6 appears to play an important role in eye health. Therefore, too little could increase the risk of vision problems.
Could having a pyridoxal phosphate supplement help defend our sight as we age? This is a strong line of medical enquiry.
One clinical research paper has been published that reports on a seven-year study into the benefits of a supplement containing Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12. It concluded that the supplement reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 35–40% (when compared to a placebo).
Liver health and B6
One of the best reasons to take supplements containing pyridoxal phosphate is to ensure you meet your B6 RDA when you have health issues involving your liver.
Liver disease can interfere with your ability to produce enough B6 in its active, absorbable form. Limiting your access to this crucial nutrient.
Therefore, people with liver disease may be advised to take p-5-p supplements as part of the treatment regime.
Can you have too much vitamin B6?
You are highly unlikely to suffer from vitamin B6 toxicity from what you eat, even if you focus on vitamin-rich foods in your diet,
However, taking p-5-p as a supplement on top of a diet with plenty of B6 in it may bring side effects.
Too much B6 in your system can lead to peripheral neuropathy. This is a loss of feeling in your arms and legs. If you use this as a sign to stop taking supplements containing p-5-p, it may well be a temporary issue. However, prolonged B6 overdosing can make nerve damage permanent. So how much is considered too much? Although these levels aren’t officially enforced the USL, or upper safety levels for long term use are 200mg of Pyridoxine daily. However, the USL fails to state what it considers to be long term, one day, week, month etc.
Therefore, we feel that you should find a daily p-5-p supplement that delivers between 10mg - 20mg of vitamin B6, unless a naturopathic practitioner recommends a higher dosage to add to your dietary sources.
We do not advise Pregnant and breastfeeding women to take p-5-p without under medical advisement.
Getting a balance diet – and a balanced view of naturopathy
One of the things that make it difficult to create accurate and indisputable links between nutrition and treatment of common conditions, is how complex this topic is!
Medical scientists are constantly experimenting with a vast range of dosages and combinations of micro-nutrients, trying to establish the combinations and levels that create clear results.
One of the things they are trying to pin down is whether ingesting pyridoxal phosphate has health benefits over and above our consumption of other forms of pyridoxal (vitamin B6).
Meanwhile, there is clearly a great deal of merit in making sure you get sufficient of all nutrients in your diet, possibly topping up with well balanced, high-quality supplements.
If you have enjoyed reading this guide to p-5-p supplements and information on the health benefits of vitamin B6, we hope you will explore other resources on this website.
We strive to bring you easy ways to eat for health - and prevent and treat common diseases. Our constantly updated articles and guides are always based on clinical research and sound naturopathic principles.
Get in touch if there are new topics you would like us to investigate, that our website visitors and clients would find enlightening!
Additional Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyridoxine
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b6-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://www.medlink.com/articles/pyridoxine-deficiency-and-toxicity
