Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 was first discovered in 1938. A water-soluble vitamin, B6 is found primarily in muscle and exists in three interchangeable forms-pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. It is one of the most versatile cofactors of about 120 enzymes (substances that speed up chemical reactions in the body). Vitamin B6 can be found in a number of common foods, including liver, beef, chicken, bananas, pistachios, California avocados, mashed potatoes, baked halibut, baked pork chops, sunflower seed kernels, cooked brown rice, dried prunes, 2 percent milk, orange juice, oatmeal, and white bread.

The benefits of Vitamin B
Vitamin B6, in conjunction with folate and vitamin B12, helps to lower blood levels of homocysteine, a risk factor for heart disease. In the Framingham Heart Study, individuals with the lowest vitamin B6 intakes had higher levels of blood homocysteine.

Also, findings from the Nurse's Health Study showed that women with the highest intakes of vitamin B6 and folate had a lower risk of coronary heart disease that women with lower intakes of these vitamins.