The short answer: the foods highest in vitamin B6 are tuna, salmon, beef liver, turkey, chicken, pork, potatoes with the skin and bananas. Three ounces of cooked yellowfin tuna gives you about half the Daily Value. Most adults need 1.3 to 1.7mg a day. Food has never been shown to cause harm, but high-dose supplements can damage nerves.
Vitamin B6 helps your body make hemoglobin and antibodies, keep nerves working normally, and break down protein. It’s water soluble, and you need a steady supply from what you eat. The good news is that it’s found in many ordinary foods.
What foods are high in vitamin B6?
Here are 28 everyday foods, ranked by how much B6 you get in a normal portion. That’s a fairer test than the per-100-gram lists you’ll often see, because nobody eats 100 grams of sunflower seeds. Percent Daily Value (DV) uses the US label figure of 1.7mg.
| Food | Portion | B6 (mg) | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russet potato, baked with skin | 1 large | 1.06 | 62% |
| Yellowfin tuna, cooked | 3 oz (85g) | 0.88 | 52% |
| Beef liver, braised | 3 oz (85g) | 0.87 | 51% |
| Sockeye salmon, cooked | 3 oz (85g) | 0.70 | 41% |
| Turkey breast, roasted | 3 oz (85g) | 0.69 | 40% |
| Instant oatmeal, fortified, raisins and spice | 1 cup prepared | 0.61 | 36% |
| Pork top loin roast, lean, cooked | 3 oz (85g) | 0.61 | 36% |
| Life cereal, plain | 3/4 cup | 0.58 | 34% |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz (85g) | 0.51 | 30% |
| Banana | 1 medium (118g) | 0.43 | 25% |
| White tuna, canned in oil | 3 oz (85g) | 0.37 | 21% |
| Canned tomato sauce with onions | 1/2 cup | 0.33 | 19% |
| Sweet potato, baked | 1 medium | 0.33 | 19% |
| Ground beef, 85% lean, broiled | 3 oz (85g) | 0.32 | 19% |
| Sunflower seeds, toasted | 1/4 cup | 0.27 | 16% |
| Avocado | 1/2 fruit (100g) | 0.26 | 15% |
| Butternut squash, baked | 1 cup | 0.25 | 15% |
| Onion, raw | 1 cup chopped | 0.19 | 11% |
| Spinach, canned | 1 cup | 0.19 | 11% |
| Carrots, raw | 1 cup chopped | 0.18 | 10% |
| Peanuts, dry-roasted | 1/4 cup | 0.17 | 10% |
| Black beans, canned | 1 cup | 0.13 | 8% |
| Milk, 2%, protein-fortified | 1 cup | 0.13 | 7% |
| Firm tofu | 1/2 cup | 0.12 | 7% |
| Chickpeas, boiled | 1/2 cup (82g) | 0.11 | 7% |
| Pink salmon, canned | 3 oz (85g) | 0.09 | 5% |
| Cottage cheese, 1% | 4 oz | 0.08 | 5% |
| Plain organic instant oatmeal | 1 packet | 0.05 | 3% |
Source: USDA Standard Reference Legacy data. Where USDA gives a per-100-gram figure, we multiplied it by the portion shown. Fortified cereals change their recipes, so check your own box.
Three things stand out:
- Fortification changes everything. The two oatmeals in the table are about 12 times apart. Plain oats aren’t a big source, as we explain in is oatmeal good for you, though a fortified version can be.
- Fresh fish beats canned. Cooked sockeye has about eight times the B6 of canned pink salmon, in these two USDA entries.
- Your body uses some plant B6 less well. Linus Pauling Institute says a form found in many plant foods is about half as available to the body. In a mixed diet, roughly 75% is available.
The everyday winners overlap with our lists of foods high in potassium and high fiber foods, so one good plate can do several jobs.
How much B6 do you need a day?
| Group | Daily need (mg) |
|---|---|
| Children 1 to 3 | 0.5 |
| Children 4 to 8 | 0.6 |
| Children 9 to 13 | 1.0 |
| Girls 14 to 18 | 1.2 |
| Boys and men 14 to 50, women 19 to 50 | 1.3 |
| Women 51 and older | 1.5 |
| Men 51 and older | 1.7 |
| During pregnancy | 1.9 |
| While breastfeeding | 2.0 |
On average, Americans already get this much. A US survey cited by Linus Pauling Institute put average intake from food at 2.6mg for men and 1.7mg for women. A simple day gets you there too: a banana, 3 ounces of chicken, half a cup of tomato sauce and a quarter cup of sunflower seeds add up to about 1.5mg.
What are the benefits of B6 supplements?
The benefits of vitamin B6 from food are the everyday jobs above. Extra B6 from a pill has a much thinner record. Here’s what the evidence we read shows.
| Claim | What the research found |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy nausea | The best-supported use. US obstetricians list it as a first-line option, though one review rated the evidence very low quality. Use it with your doctor’s guidance. |
| PMS | Possible help at up to 100mg a day in nine trials, but most were poor quality. |
| Heart disease | In 6,261 people followed for over three years, 40mg a day made no difference to heart events. |
| Memory and thinking | A Cochrane review of 14 trials found no effect in older adults without dementia. |
| Cancer | Higher blood levels are linked with lower risk, but Harvard calls separate B6 pills inconclusive and doesn’t recommend them. |
| More energy | B6 helps your body use energy from food. We found no good evidence that extra B6 lifts energy if you already get enough. If you’re worn out, see why am I always tired. |
How much B6 is too much?
This is where experts disagree, and the rules are getting tighter. The US limit dates from 1998. Newer limits are much lower.
| Where | Rule for adults |
|---|---|
| US | Upper limit of 100mg a day, set in 1998 |
| EU | Upper limit cut from 25mg to 12mg a day in 2023 |
| UK | NHS advice is no more than 10mg a day from supplements unless a doctor says otherwise |
| Australia | Products above 50mg and up to 200mg a day become pharmacist-only from June 2027, with warnings at lower doses |
| Canada | Warnings expected on labels at 10mg or more |
Why the change? Reports keep coming in. Australia’s regulator logged 250 reports of nerve problems linked to B6 products between January 2023 and October 2025, at reported doses of 25 to 400mg a day. The Dutch monitoring center recorded 238 cases from 2007 to 2024, including 79 on 12mg a day or less. The US FDA’s complaint system logged 98 serious events from 1999 to 2025, and 39 of those came in 2024.
Reports like these can’t prove the B6 caused the problem, and the low-dose question is still open. Linus Pauling Institute notes that studies with objective nerve testing found no damage below 200mg a day. The US supplement trade group argues that harm only happens at much higher doses. Even so, the NHS says the effect of 10 to 200mg is unclear, so we can’t tell you a long-term high dose is safe.
The risk can sneak up through stacking. A 50mg tablet holds as much B6 as about 115 bananas. USDA lists 4mg in a 16-ounce NOS energy drink and 2mg in 8 ounces of sugar-free Rockstar. Add a multivitamin and a B-complex, and the total climbs fast. Look for "pyridoxine" on the label and add up everything you take.
If you were told to take a specific dose, don’t change it without asking your doctor. Some medicines can also lower B6, including isoniazid, levodopa and long-term use of some pain relievers, while high-dose B6 can make levodopa, phenytoin and phenobarbital work less well.
What are the symptoms of B6 toxicity?
Too much B6 mainly harms the sensory nerves. Linus Pauling Institute describes pain and numbness in the arms and legs, and in severe cases, trouble walking. MedlinePlus adds poor coordination and sensory changes.
Symptoms usually improve after the supplement stops, but the NHS warns the damage can be permanent in a few cases, mostly after large doses taken for more than a few months. One 2023 case report described a man with years of worsening nerve symptoms and a high B6 blood level who reported only a daily multivitamin with 6mg. It’s one case and can’t prove cause, but it shows why doctors now ask.
See your doctor soon if you have new numbness, tingling or burning in your hands or feet, or you feel unsteady. Bring every supplement bottle with you. Plenty of other conditions cause these symptoms, including diabetes, so don’t assume it’s B6.
What are the signs of low B6?
Low B6 is uncommon in the US, and a mild shortage may cause no symptoms. A more serious one can bring anemia, skin problems, mouth and tongue sores, confusion, depression and lowered immunity. It often comes with low B12 and folate.
You’re more likely to run low with kidney disease, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis or heavy drinking. If that’s you, ask your doctor about a blood test before you buy anything.
For nearly everyone else, the plan is simple: put fish, poultry, potatoes or beans on the plate, and keep a fruit bowl handy. A banana every day is an easy place to start, with a quarter of your Daily Value in one piece of fruit.
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Quick questions
Which food is highest in vitamin B6?
Among everyday portions, a large baked russet potato with the skin ranks at the top of our list, with about 1.06mg. Cooked yellowfin tuna and braised beef liver follow, at about 0.88mg for 3 ounces. Each of these covers at least half the Daily Value of 1.7mg.
Is it OK to take vitamin B6 every day?
A daily multivitamin with a small amount is common, but high-dose B6 is a different matter. The NHS advises staying at or under 10mg a day from supplements unless a doctor says otherwise. The EU limit is 12mg, and the older US limit is 100mg.
Can you get too much B6 from food?
Vitamin B6 harm has been documented from supplements, never from food sources, according to Linus Pauling Institute. Your body clears extra B6 in urine, and ordinary meals supply far less than a tablet. A 50mg pill holds about as much as 115 bananas.
Does B6 give you energy?
B6 helps your body use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates, so a real shortage can leave you unwell. We found no good evidence that extra B6 gives you more energy if your diet already supplies enough. Ongoing tiredness deserves a check with your doctor.
Is vitamin B6 safe during pregnancy?
B6 is considered safe in pregnancy, and US obstetricians list it as a first-line option for nausea. Pregnant women need 1.9mg a day from all sources. Treatment doses are higher, so talk with your doctor or midwife about the right amount before you start.
Is B6 the same as B12?
No, they’re two separate vitamins with different jobs. B6, also called pyridoxine, is found in many plant and animal foods and has been linked to nerve damage at high supplement doses. Low B6 often comes with low B12 and folate.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you’re pregnant, take medication or have numbness or tingling, talk with your doctor before starting or changing a supplement.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Standard Reference Legacy entries for tuna, beef liver, salmon, chicken, pork, ground beef, banana, avocado and chickpeas
- USDA National Agricultural Library: Nutrient lists from Standard Reference Legacy (2018), vitamin B-6
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels
- MedlinePlus: Vitamin B6
- NHS: B vitamins and folic acid
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Vitamin B6
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University: Vitamin B6
- NutraIngredients: Regulators clamp down on vitamin B6 supplements as toxicity debate grows (June 2026)
- NutraIngredients: Australia implements pharmacist-only scheme for vitamin B6 from June 2027 (Nov 2025)
- Muhamad R et al. The Role of Vitamin B6 in Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 2023
- Paluszny A, Qiu S. Vitamin B6 Toxicity Secondary to Daily Multivitamin Use: A Case Report. Cureus, 2023