Balance - Body with Beautiful Brain Vitamin B6
Hello dear friends,
The letter B. So many of our favourite words begin with the letter B, even the swearing kind which can be useful on a down day during menopause. Am I right ladies?
Though I specifically like the letter B because it’s at the core of one of my essential favourite vitamins in supplement and food selections.
We started where I explained the key to creating a firm basis for moving forward is through simplicity and a chilled pathway.A vital stage at the beginning of that process for me is calming the chatter in my mind. At the beginning of my menopause, my mind remained full of uncertainty and chatter. Small steps were needed to move forward and B vitamins were part of that factor. I’m never without Vitamin B6.
This is due to this essential vitamin creating Neurotransmitters that may help regulate emotions. These Neurotransmitters include dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid. It is said that Vitamin B6 may play a role in decreasing the amino acid homocysteine, which can be linked to depression. A balanced mood is where everything starts for me, so I’ve been taking Vitamin B6 regularly as part of my daily routine and it seems to be having a positive effect on my daily mood and overall emotional wellbeing.
Serotonin is a key factor.
Serotonin is a chemical which nerve cells produce. It’s found in the digestive system, through blood platelets and throughout the central nervous system. It's a key element as it sends signals between your nerve cells. It’s made of an essential amino acid that enters your body through your diet.
How does it support my menopause?
Serotonin levels are said to fluctuate considerably during menopause which is basically responsible for our mood. It is said that Vitamin B6 helps to make serotonin, which is a chemical responsible for transmitting brain signals. I believe stabilising fluctuating serotonin levels is a good reason for taking a Vitamin B6 supplement during and after menopause and may help prevent symptoms caused by low serotonin levels. I find that taking Vitamin B6 helps significantly with loss of energy and depression and sleep disturbances leading to high levels of fatigue, lack of concentration and motivation. Vitamin B6 is not present in our bodies but there are lots of our favourite foods that contain it that can be part of our healthy life choices.
It is interesting to note that antidepressant medication, which some women decide to use during menopause, are a class of medications called Standard Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s). These medications actively raise levels of serotonin in the brain and keep those levels raised to combat symptoms of depression and low mood. I decided that I did not want to start taking antidepressant medications, although I have been offered them on a number of occasions mainly as an aid for sleep disturbance. I decided at the beginning of my menopause journey that I would focus on making changes to my diet and use supplements and exercise to try and combat the problems of low mood, fatigue, depression and anxiety and ruminating thought patterns. Through my research, I discovered that Vitamin B6 was involved in the production of serotonin and over time can have a good effect on energy levels and mood, so I decided to integrate it into my daily routine and diet.
Serotonin helps regulate your mood naturally. When your serotonin levels are normal, you feel happier, calmer, more focused, less anxious.
Here are a few of my food choices that contain vitamin B6:
Tuna, salmon, chickpeas, squash, spinach, avocado, watermelon, banana, chicken, turkey, potatoes, chestnuts, pistachio nuts and cottage cheese.
To Sum Up
I believe Vitamin B6 is vital as a food and supplement source. It is present in many of our favourite foods and available as a stand alone supplement, within a complex of other B vitamins and added to some of our other favourite supplements.
In brief, serotonin is also known to pack a punch not only in supporting mood but bowel movements, blood clotting, bone health, nausea and sexual function which we will discuss in further articles as today we focus on mood health.
Here are two types of Vitamin B6 supplements that I take:
The information is a guide to my experiences of what I believe works for me and may work for others. This does not constitute medical advice.
If you are suffering from acute depression please seek medical advice before you consider any information offered.
This article was published by Petra at Meet Me In The Menopause