Morning sickness is a general side effect of pregnancy and is usually experienced during the first trimester. Although it generally wears off throughout the day, it can still have a significant impact on you and your life, particularly if the morning sickness begins at around six weeks pregnant.
These might be that not all morning sickness solutions can relieve you, but they are surely worth trying.
What is vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is a vitamin that is naturally found in many foods. The body requires vitamin B6 for around 100 enzyme reactions involved in metabolism. Some clinical trials have suggested that taking this vitamin might help ease queasiness for some pregnant women.
Where does Vitamin B6 come from?
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin available as a dietary supplement and present in many foods. B6 keeps your body functioning at its best potential. This vitamin is exceptionally versatile and performs a wide variety of functions in the body.
B6 helps your body metabolize fats, protein, and carbohydrates. It also helps form antibodies, new red blood cells, and neurotransmitters. All these B6 supplement benefits are crucial for expecting mothers.
[Also Read: Best Supplements for Women]
How can I take it?
A pregnant woman can be given tablets of vitamin B6 to help boost their levels. It’s suggested that you only need to take 25 mg, thrice a day (up to 200 mg of vitamin B6 daily, and cure morning sickness) [1] .
If you are considering using this supplement, then talk to your physician first as many vitamins that support pregnancy already contain vitamin B and might not need a separate supplement. Especially as huge doses of vitamin B6 can lead to pyridoxine neuropathy.
Symptoms may include tingling, numbness, burning, or shooting pains in your legs, arms, feet, and hands. While this is very unlikely to occur with such a tiny dose,
the condition can progress the more you intake. If you do feel these negative effects, we recommend you stop taking the supplement and consult your General Practioner. (Stop taking B6 to reverse the effects of pyridoxine neuropathy).
If you don’t want to use tablets, vitamin B6 can also be found in an array of foods that you can start to include more frequently into your diet. Foods such as cauliflower, carrots, green beans, potatoes, bananas, avocados, lean meats, nuts, eggs, brown rice, whole grains, and fish can be easily integrated into your diet.
They might help to relieve your morning sickness symptoms. For some women, the intake of vitamin B6 supplements does appear to help.
Research shows that women who have extreme morning sickness have low levels of vitamin B6 in their blood. This may be why, for many expecting mothers who are extremely sick in pregnancy, taking a B6 supplement seems to relieve their symptoms. However, it doesn’t always help to avoid vomiting.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may help our bodies to process certain proteins (amino acids), which may somehow minimize nausea.
However, researchers aren’t sure how much vitamin B6 is safe in pregnancy, so it’s not routinely suggested as a treatment.
If you’re planning to take a B6 supplement in pregnancy, check with your physician first [2]. He/she can suggest to you if you require it, how much to take, and whether the dose in your prenatal vitamin should count as one of the doses. Remember that the amount of vitamin B6 in prenatal supplements may differ.
Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient for everyone, including pregnant women. It helps:
- Promote the growth of red blood cells
- Use and store energy from foods
- Develop your baby’s brain and nervous system
- Strengthen your immune system
A healthy balanced diet will give you adequate vitamin B6 to meet your daily needs without taking a separate supplement.
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Sources of vitamin B6
sources of vitamin B6 include:
- Soya beans
- Bananas (Kela)
- Corn (Makka)
- Milk
- Whole grains
- Brown rice
- Nuts
- Spinach
- Avocados (Makhan phal)
- Sunflower seeds (smaller amounts in pumpkin, sesame, flax and squash seeds)
- Pistachios (walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts)
- Fish such as safe catch wild salmon and elite tuna
- Poultry such as turkey and chicken
- Dried fruit such as apricots, raisins or prunes
Snack Ideas
- A single baked sweet potato makes an excellent snack.
- If you have lovable fortified breakfast cereal, try it with milk or dry.
- Dried fruit is a perfect B6 snack, just be wary of too much sugar.
- Roasted hazelnuts or Pistachios are also good in moderation.
- Sunflower seeds are a natural and quick infusion of B6.
- Natural vegetable juices can provide B6, but beware of additional sugar.
- Prune juice is not for everyone, but there’s no denying its health benefits.
- Canned chickpeas make for an incredibly decent snacking food.
- If you’re looking for somewhat more filling, some long-grained brown rice is a good place to start.
[Also Read: Best Pregnancy Supplements To Take]
What if I still have morning sickness?
You may be suffering from extreme morning sickness known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum. We would advise you to see your General Practitioner if you have this condition as it sometimes requires hospital treatment.
Bottom Line
If anyone you know or you are pregnant and showing symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency, consult your OB/GYN as soon as possible. The sooner you take help, the better it is for your developing baby and you. Being pregnant is a real boon, and taking care of the health of baby and mom is the most vital goal.
