How Much Vitamin B6 Is Safe? The Essential, Simple Guide

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin the body uses in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mostly involved in processing protein. Most people get enough from everyday foods such as chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas. The safety issue is supplements: taking too much B6 over time has been linked to nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), and the upper limits set by health authorities differ widely between countries, from 10 mg a day in UK supplement advice to 100 mg a day in the United States.

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This guide explains what B6 does, which foods supply it, what intakes and upper limits each authority sets, why Australia has tightened its rules, and how to add up the B6 hidden across several products. It presents reference values, not personal targets, and is general education rather than medical advice.

At a glance

• B6 is found in many everyday foods, and isolated deficiency is uncommon in people who eat a varied diet.
• High intakes from supplements, particularly over months, have been linked to peripheral neuropathy: tingling, burning or numbness, often in the hands and feet.
• Upper limits differ: 12 mg a day in the EU, 50 mg a day in Australia and New Zealand (under review, with 14 mg proposed), 100 mg a day in the US, and a 10 mg supplement limit in UK advice.
• B6 hides in multivitamins, B-complex, magnesium and zinc products and some fortified foods and drinks, so add every source together.
• If you notice tingling, burning or numbness while taking a product containing B6, stop taking it and see your doctor promptly.

What does vitamin B6 do?

Vitamin B6 is a group of related compounds: pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine. According to the US National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH ODS) fact sheet, the active forms work as coenzymes, helpers that let enzymes do their job, in more than 100 reactions. The body uses B6 for:

• protein and amino acid metabolism, which is its biggest role;
• carbohydrate and fat metabolism;
• making neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the nervous system;
• forming haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying part of red blood cells;
• normal immune function and the processing of homocysteine.

Those are normal body functions that need adequate B6. They do not mean that taking extra B6 above what you need improves any of them. For how B6 fits with the other vitamins, see the vitamins and minerals starter guide, and for a related B vitamin that older adults are more likely to run low on, see vitamin B12 and the right form.

Foods high in vitamin B6

B6 is spread across many food groups, which is one reason deficiency on its own is uncommon. The figures below are from the NIH ODS fact sheet, which draws on US food composition data; serves are given in the US measures used there, with metric equivalents rounded. Values in your country’s food database may differ slightly.

Food	Typical serve	B6 per serve (mg)	Source
Chickpeas, canned	1 cup	1.1	NIH ODS / USDA data
Beef liver, pan-fried	3 oz (about 85 g)	0.9	NIH ODS / USDA data
Yellowfin tuna, cooked	3 oz (about 85 g)	0.9	NIH ODS / USDA data
Sockeye salmon, cooked	3 oz (about 85 g)	0.6	NIH ODS / USDA data
Chicken breast, roasted	3 oz (about 85 g)	0.5	NIH ODS / USDA data
Potatoes, boiled	1 cup	0.4	NIH ODS / USDA data
Turkey, roasted	3 oz (about 85 g)	0.4	NIH ODS / USDA data
Banana	1 medium	0.4	NIH ODS / USDA data
Fortified breakfast cereal	1 serve (varies by brand)	Check the label	Product label

The UK’s NHS also lists pork, peanuts, soya beans, wheatgerm, oats and milk as sources. The NIH ODS notes that B6 from food has not been reported to cause harm; the safety concerns relate to supplements and fortified products.

How much B6 do adults need?

Australia and New Zealand’s Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs), published by the NHMRC, set these recommended dietary intakes (RDIs) for adults:

• Men and women aged 19 to 50: 1.3 mg a day.
• Men aged 51 and over: 1.7 mg a day.
• Women aged 51 and over: 1.5 mg a day.
• Pregnancy: 1.9 mg a day. Breastfeeding: 2.0 mg a day.

The US recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) are the same figures. The UK’s NHS gives slightly different reference amounts for adults aged 19 to 64: about 1.4 mg a day for men and 1.2 mg for women. All of these are small amounts, well below the B6 content of many single supplement tablets.

Upper limits and why they differ

An upper limit is the highest daily intake from all sources that an expert panel judged unlikely to cause harm for most people. Different panels have weighed the evidence on nerve effects differently, and some have revised their figures as more reports emerged.

Authority	Adult intake recommendation	Adult upper limit or advice	Year set or updated	Note
NHMRC (Australia and New Zealand)	1.3 to 1.7 mg a day (RDI)	50 mg a day	2006; under review	A 2026 draft proposes 14 mg a day for adults; final values expected in 2027
US National Academies	1.3 to 1.7 mg a day (RDA)	100 mg a day	1998	Applies to adults including pregnancy and breastfeeding
EFSA (European Union)	Set separately	12 mg a day	2023	Applies to adults including pregnancy and breastfeeding; lower values for children
UK Department of Health and Social Care / NHS	About 1.2 to 1.4 mg a day	No more than 10 mg a day from supplements unless a doctor advises	Current NHS guidance	NHS notes the effects of amounts between 10 and 200 mg a day are unclear
TGA (Australia, labelling)	Not applicable	Warning label required above 10 mg per daily dose	Since 1 March 2022	From 1 June 2027, products above 50 mg a day become pharmacist-only and above 200 mg prescription-only

The European Food Safety Authority’s 2023 opinion based its 12 mg figure on peripheral neuropathy as the critical effect, combining evidence from a human case-control study and an animal study. In Australia and New Zealand, the NHMRC opened a public consultation in August 2026 on reduced upper limits for all age groups, including a proposed 14 mg a day for adults; it closed on 30 September 2026 and the figures are not final. Check your own country’s current guidance, because these numbers are moving.

B6 and nerve symptoms: what the reports show

The NIH ODS fact sheet notes that very high supplement intakes, of 1 to 6 grams a day taken for 12 to 40 months, have caused severe, progressive sensory neuropathy, and that symptoms usually ease once supplements are stopped. The NHS states that taking 200 mg or more a day can lead to loss of feeling in the arms and legs, which usually improves after stopping, but that damage can be permanent if large amounts are taken for several months.

Australia’s experience has drawn attention to lower amounts. The TGA reports that, as of 31 October 2025, its Database of Adverse Event Notifications held 250 reports of peripheral neuropathy or related terms for products containing vitamin B6, plus 162 further reports using less specific terms such as tingling-type sensations or burning. In response, the TGA:

• lowered the label-warning threshold from above 50 mg to above 10 mg per daily dose from 1 March 2022, with the warning telling people to stop the product and see a health professional if they experience tingling, burning or numbness;
• made a final scheduling decision on 25 November 2025 that, from 1 June 2027, products providing more than 50 mg and up to 200 mg a day will be Pharmacist Only Medicines and products above 200 mg will need a prescription; products at 50 mg or less stay in general retail.

The TGA has also noted that people often do not realise a product contains B6, or do not remember taking it when asked. That is the practical problem this guide is designed to help with.

Where B6 hides in your supplements

According to the TGA, B6 is commonly found in B-group and multivitamin products, magnesium and zinc products, and some foods and drinks with added vitamins. A person can easily take several of these at once without realising each contains B6.

Worked example (made-up label amounts, not real products):

• A multivitamin listing 25 mg of B6 per daily dose.
• A magnesium product listing 10 mg of B6 per daily dose.
• A B-complex “energy” product listing 50 mg of B6 per daily dose.

Total: 85 mg a day from supplements, before food. That is above the current Australian and New Zealand upper limit of 50 mg, well above the EU’s 12 mg and the UK’s 10 mg supplement advice, and below the US limit of 100 mg. The same person in different countries would be told very different things, but by every standard except the US one, this combination is above the limit. If your own total looks high, the next step is a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist, not stopping prescribed products on your own.

The guides to how to check a multivitamin label and magnesium forms, many of which add B6 show where to find the B6 line on those products.

How to read B6 on a label

B6 may not be listed as “vitamin B6”. The TGA lists these names you may see:

• Pyridoxine hydrochloride, the most common supplement form according to the NIH ODS.
• Pyridoxal 5-phosphate or pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate, often shortened to P5P or PLP and sometimes marketed as an “active” form. The NIH ODS describes absorption as similar across forms, and the TGA’s warnings cover these forms as well.

Check the amount in milligrams per daily dose (the number of tablets or capsules the label directs), not per tablet. In Australia, look for the warning statement on products above 10 mg. Overseas products may be made for markets with higher limits and may not carry the same warning; see why overseas products can carry higher B6. The general skills in reading a supplement label apply too.

Count your B6 in five steps

1. List every supplement, powder and fortified drink you take, including ones you only use some days.
2. Find the B6 line on each label. It may say pyridoxine, pyridoxal 5-phosphate or P5P.
3. Add up the milligrams per day, using the number of tablets you actually take.
4. Compare the total with your country’s upper limit or supplement advice in the table above.
5. If the total is high, or you notice tingling, burning or numbness, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before changing anything you have been prescribed.

Who should talk to a doctor or pharmacist

• Anyone with tingling, burning or numbness, especially in the hands or feet, while taking a product containing B6.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women. Needs are higher, and many pregnancy multivitamins contain B6; talk to your doctor or midwife about the total.
• People taking certain medicines. The NIH ODS lists interactions with some anti-seizure medicines (such as valproate, carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital), the antibiotic cycloserine and theophylline.
• People with kidney disease, malabsorption conditions or alcohol dependence, who the NIH ODS notes are at higher risk of low B6 status and may need medical advice rather than self-supplementing.
• People with existing neuropathy from any cause, including diabetes.

Common mistakes

• Assuming water-soluble means harmless. B6 is water-soluble, but high intakes over time have still been linked to nerve damage.
• Forgetting the B6 in magnesium and multivitamins. It is often a minor line on the label.
• Reading a high % of the daily value as reassuring. A figure of several thousand per cent means the product holds many times the daily requirement.
• Ignoring a label warning. In Australia, the warning exists because of real adverse event reports.
• Assuming more is better. Intake above what the body needs does not improve normal functions. The wider approach in how to judge any supplement applies here too.
• Stopping prescribed products without advice. If your total is high, review it with your doctor or pharmacist.

Sources this guide draws on: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals; the NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand and the NHMRC’s 2026 public consultation on vitamin B6 upper levels; the European Food Safety Authority’s 2023 scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin B6; the TGA safety update on medicines containing vitamin B6 and its scheduling decision; and the NHS vitamin B guidance, including UK Department of Health and Social Care advice.

Frequently asked questions

What does vitamin B6 do?

The body uses vitamin B6 as a coenzyme in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mainly in protein metabolism, and also in making neurotransmitters and haemoglobin. These are normal functions that need adequate B6; extra B6 above your needs does not improve them.

Which foods are highest in vitamin B6?

Chickpeas, liver, tuna, salmon, chicken, potatoes, turkey and bananas are among the richer sources listed by the NIH ODS. Fortified breakfast cereals can also contribute, so check the label.

How much vitamin B6 is too much?

It depends where you live. Upper limits are 12 mg a day in the EU, 50 mg a day in Australia and New Zealand (with 14 mg proposed), and 100 mg a day in the US, while UK advice is no more than 10 mg a day from supplements unless a doctor advises otherwise. These are reference values, not targets.

Why is there B6 in my magnesium supplement?

Many magnesium and multivitamin products include B6 as an added ingredient. The TGA specifically names magnesium and zinc products as common sources, so add their B6 to your total.

What is P5P and is it different from pyridoxine?

P5P (pyridoxal 5-phosphate) is one of the active forms of B6. The NIH ODS describes absorption as similar across supplement forms, and Australia’s B6 warnings apply to P5P as well as pyridoxine.

What are the signs of too much B6?

Reports describe tingling, burning or numbness, usually starting in the hands or feet. If you notice these while taking any product containing B6, stop taking it and see your doctor promptly.

Most people can get the B6 they need from a varied diet. If you use supplements, add up every product, compare the total with your country’s current limits, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist if anything looks high.