If you eat a fairly well-balanced diet, there's a good chance that you're getting plenty of vitamin B6, or pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of everyday foods and is essential to the body. However, vitamin B6 is also a water-soluble vitamin, which means that you need to replenish your body with it often because it gets flushed out if it's not used. Unlike some other types of vitamins, it can't be stored anywhere in your body. That said, you can tell if you are suffering from vitamin B6 deficiency. You just need to know what to look for. Here are some signs that you may be suffering from vitamin B6 deficiency:

1. Lack of Energy

Vitamin B6 helps supply your body with energy. It does this by working to your improve your metabolism. By doing this, it can help your body break down the protein that you eat and, as a result, produce energy quickly. If you notice that you are more tired than usual or you get fatigued quickly during exercise, you may have a vitamin B6 deficiency to blame.

2. A Decrease in Brain Function

While trouble with brain function can be the result of any number of things, one of vitamin B6's jobs is to help you with certain brain functions. This helps your brain communicate with other parts of the body more efficiently. If you feel as though you may be suffering from decreased brain function for any reason, speak with your doctor immediately to see if it could be the result of vitamin B6 deficiency.

3. High Levels Of Homocysteine

You will not be able to tell if you have high levels of the amino acid homocysteine in your body. But if you go to the doctor and find out that you do, it may be because you're suffering from vitamin B6 deficiency. High levels of homocysteine can cause heart attacks, but vitamin B6 helps to keep your levels low to reduce your risk. If they're high, you probably need to incorporate more vitamin B6 into your diet.

Getting More Vitamin B6

Fortunately, vitamin B6 deficiencies are fairly rare. They're rare because vitamin B6 is a good amount of foods. So even if you're not taking a vitamin B6 supplement, there's a good chance you're getting a healthy amount from your normal diet. Foods like poultry, pork, nuts and beans contain high levels of vitamin B6. By eating these foods, you will prevent yourself from having vitamin B6 deficiency. Additionally, you will be able to enjoy many of the benefits of vitamin B6, including the energy that it brings and the improved brain function that it can provide. If you think you might be suffering from vitamin B6 deficiency, talk to your doctor today about what you can do to get more B6 in your diet. It could end up changing your life.