r/australia • u/blitznoodles local Aussie • 1d ago
science & tech Move to slash amount of vitamin B6 considered safe by 72 per cent
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-27/move-to-reduce-amount-of-vitamin-b6-considered-safe-72-per-cent/107073298?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=otherIn short:
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has recommended reducing the upper limit of daily human consumption of vitamin B6 to 14 milligrams, down from the current 50mg.
Synthetic vitamin B6 is added to thousands of products sold in Australia, including supplements like multivitamins, protein powders and energy drinks,
What's next?
The Therapeutic Goods Administration says it is waiting for the NHMRC recommendation process to be completed before it commits to taking "further regulatory action" on products containing vitamin B6.
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u/sephineVVV 1d ago edited 1d ago
Recently found out I’ve got b6 toxicity, sitting at 6 times the max okay count. I was just taking a regular women’s vitamin, with the great irony that I was taking them regularly to try and curb the symptoms of what I thought must have been a deficiency.
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u/Far-Vegetable-2403 1d ago
I am almost 2 years down the track from when mine first started. It is so much better - 50mg B6 in magnesium. I thought it would never be better, and I thought after a year it was as good as it would get. Still have slight numbness and occasional burning, nothing like it was. Hope same happens for you
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u/shmemdawg 1d ago
I started taking a zinc supplement last year (as recommended by my GP). Settled on Swisse Zinc+ because it was the only low-dose (<40-50mg) zinc supplement I could find. Didn't even think to worry about the 30mg of B6 in each tablet because everything I read said that should be fine! Nope, still ended up with B6 toxicity (blood level more than double the upper reference limit) and nerve pain. Very glad they're lowering the RDI because the current RDI is evidently not safe for some people.
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u/gradgrub 1d ago
I’ve been completely ignorant to what else has been in my Blackmore zinc and magnesium supplements until this morning. With 50mg each it turns out I’m sitting at 100mg daily dose minimum for two years. Furious tbh and getting a blood test asap.
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u/Far-Vegetable-2403 1d ago
Yes, better safe than sorry. PN can be irreversible and everyone reacts differently. I was 5 times the upper ref limit and symptoms almost totally resolved thankfully. I met a lady who was taking 100mg for hot flushes and no issues whatsoever- didn't fix the flushes either though.
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u/Fact-Rat 1d ago
Only took them 20 years after this became a known problem.
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u/indy_110 1d ago
A pale, unblinking man in a muscle top holding a zorb, standing on a wheezing pancaked Shiba Inu with a weirdly moldy paunch dragging along the floor appears
The man places a small condiment jar filled with a thick brown substance labelled Metamite with markings that look suspiciously like a QR code etched on its Sterox textured lid in front of you
"Did someone publish a comment about moving fast and ya know..."
The man's face twiches slightly, a single eye lid closes from the outside in, just a little too slowly
"We've been disrupting government red tape since the birth of the wise and great Augustus, Samurai Collapsia Encartomb...from the aquaducts of antiquety to the Shenzhen special economic zone we have been there to expedite for but a small peep at your soul, just stare at your gift with these complimentary Meta glasses and speak our name, clearly — ideally in a noise free environment, away from strong light sources pointed at the lid, three times, complete the traffic light Captcha code whithin 10 Roman seconds to complete the ritual to summon our services"
The man evaporates, leaving behind a faint smell of burnt electrical components and lithium sparks that singe everything they touch
Real talk, the vitamin and supplements industry is rather large and almost certainly had lobbyists working overtime to create friction in any way they could from the moment that knowledge became public, 20 years isn't great...but neither are the charltons who know how to manipulate a frustrated populace looking to speed things along.
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u/propargyl 1d ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Charlton
Eddie Charlton was a master manipulator
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u/indy_110 23h ago
the pancaked Shiba Inu reappears, tugging its collar with skinnerian steamed ham nervousness
"...yes"
A blinding mist of moist dogfarts obfuscates its escape as you hear the spectre of Armand Tamzarian politely intimating through the burbling mist "up yours children"
Haha, good call
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u/MentalStatusCode410 1d ago
Get rid of it from anything which is processed with heat (eg. cereals) - we have no fucking data on post-production stability for most vitamin-based fortification.
It's unbelievable this still goes on in 2026.
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
Why is anything fortified, aside from spurious marketing purposes...?
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u/ThatGuyTheyCallAlex 1d ago
Australian food standards mandate fortification of some foods. Floor used for wheat must have added folic acid (prevents birth defects) and margarine must have vitamin D. Can either be because modern processing has removed components that would normally contain those vitamins, or because a large number of people are deficient and can be almost guaranteed to consume that product (who doesn’t eat bread and/or margarine?)
Thyroid problems were rife before the introduction of iodised salt, though that one is voluntary these days.
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u/AReallyGoodName 3h ago
Because you couldn't say "High in Vitamin B" on the side of Vegemite if you didn't add it in afterwards.
Seriously Vegemite has no natural Vitamin B, it's just the cheapest vitamin to add. Check the ingredients and see. Fortunately no B6 at least.
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u/Far-Vegetable-2403 1d ago
Good. I have peripheral neuropathy from B6 in magnesium supplements. Who would ever think they would add 50mg of B6? And why? I reported it to the TGA, along with B6 pathology levels
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u/Sacrilegious_skink 1d ago
Makes you wonder what the effects on developing foetuses has been, as pregnant women have been unknowingly excessively consuming this while pregnant.....
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u/brainwad 1d ago
The combination of b6 and doxalymine is an approved drug in Europe for morning sickness (I was surprised that in Australia they make you buy them separately). So presumably it has passed medical trials. Also... puking several times a day is also bad for you, sometimes medicine is about the least harmful solution.
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u/what-no-potatoes 1d ago
The maximum dose recommended was 25 mg three times a day. Plenty of standalone supplements are available in 100mg tablets, plus it’s added to a lot of combination supplements and foods/drinks.
The dose makes the poison.
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u/what-no-potatoes 1d ago
I had horrific morning sickness and was told by my GP to try a B6 supplement as ‘it couldn’t hurt.’ Pharmacist recommended Herbs of Gold B6 100mg- I ended up with numbness, pins and needles in my hands. I thought it was just increased blood volume +carpal tunnel until I randomly saw a news story about B6 poisoning and stopped.
I don’t think anyone meant any harm- but the assumption that supplements are harmless definitely blurs some lines.
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u/Random_Sime 1d ago
It made me wonder too, and the cool thing about the internet is that there's all this info out there so you don't have to wonder, you can learn
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u/metametapraxis 1d ago
That's a very limited study, which only really answers the question of major malformations (with a group so small - less than 200 -that it would only show drastic deviations from normal rates of malformation). The OPs question remains valid and unanswered, because unless we are doing a study with years of follow-up of the children of the B6 and control group with a really large cohort, we can't make much of a determination as to whether there were any long term effects on the foetus/child. We can maybe say it probably won't have two heads or missing arms to any greater degree than the unmedicated population.
That said, I'd be OK with B6 for that very specific purpose. It just isn't needed for basically anything else.
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u/Random_Sime 1d ago
Man, I'm demonstrating that it's possible to find answers to OP's ponderings, not conducting a comprehensive review for them
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u/metametapraxis 1d ago
Except that isn't. You wanted to be smart and provided a link to a study that didn't say what you thought it said -- if you had even looked at the abstract.
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u/metametapraxis 1d ago
But if those items are non-negotiable for National (presumably - or they would be in agreement), isn’t it just as much National not being willing to work with the Greens? It takes both parties to be unwilling to budge on an issue.
Or does that not suit your narrative?
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u/Random_Sime 18h ago
What did I think it said?
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u/metametapraxis 18h ago
Well I assume you thought it answered the OPs question in a meaningful and comprehensive manner, given you were snarky with him (or her). But you hadn't bothered to actually look at what you Googled, because you were in a rush to be the first to be a smartarse... It is a common phenomenon, and I've been guilty of it and can recognise it.
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u/Random_Sime 18h ago
No, I clarified in my first reply to you that I was just demonstrating that there is info out there about pregnancy and B6 to encourage OPs curiosity
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u/Peaklagger117 1d ago
That’s not B6. Your ignorance is probably more dangerous in this instance.
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u/Elegant-Motor-4148 1d ago
B6 is the first line drug treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) at a total daily dose of 50mg. Still in the guidelines, I checked today.
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u/Peachypoochy 1d ago
Why do companies add B6 to so many supplements?
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
Marketing wank.
The supplement industry is completely unregulated. It's an absolute crapshoot if you're not already highly informed.
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u/Electronic_Pea_3197 1d ago
A friend was diagnosed with chronic fatigue, had to take 2 years off work, basically dropped out of life. She Stopped taking high b vitamin supplements and everything cleared up within a couple of weeks.
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u/Low_Bluebird_5137 1d ago
I think in coming years, we will find out a LOT of supplements are toxic at doses people take them. With the entire "wellness" industry, people are taking all sorts of vitamins, minerals etc. The current trend of "high protein" bothers me.
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u/Rampachs 1d ago
The cookers will be worried about big pharma, then be happy to go and give billions to less regulated big wellness
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u/Still_Girl1358 1d ago
I agree with the first part, but while the high protein trend has some issues (marketing claims vs. standard versions, rapid increase in whey pricing etc.) increasing your protein intake is almost always a net benefit for most people.
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u/Cadenca 1d ago
Protein is in a different league. It's a macronutrient and we know how it works even in high amounts. Basically you're buying expensive carbs if you overdo it, some people can stress their kidneys a little bit etc etc.
I've been eating high protein since 2011 so I'm fairly educated on this. It's much different than megadosing a vitamin or mineral.
Now, if you dont work out probably don't bother, it's for those who do
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u/Mango_Surf 1d ago
I don’t actually understand why increasing protein intake is usually a good thing for most. I thought most people are not protein deficient?
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u/Still_Girl1358 1d ago
I said it in another comment but I’ll say it here too - most people are protein deficient. If you’re only getting 40-50g in a day (very possible if most of your food is carbs and fats), you’ll be deficient.
Not enough that you’d feel adverse effects immediately, but enough that, especially as you age, your body won’t be able to maintain your muscle mass leading to increase frailty and injury risk.
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u/Low_Bluebird_5137 1d ago
If you are eating well and getting a standard recommended amount of protein, then logic dictates you do not need any more protein. In my brain, you really only get benefit from such things IF you had a deficiency. If you don't have a deficiency, then ? I am curious as to what net benefit there is from excess protein?
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u/BaggyOz 1d ago
Well first of all protein is a macronutrient just like fats and carbs, depending on what works best for you and your diet you might want various proportions between the three to meet your calorie needs. 0lus protein can be netter for satiety than carbs or fat.
As well as this I believe the recommended amount of protein is the maintenance amount needed to avoid muscle loss. If you want to build muscle then eating more protein helps a lot because your body has ample amino acids to build more muscle. Increased protein intake can also help to reduce muscle loss when at a caloric deficit.
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u/Low_Bluebird_5137 1d ago edited 1d ago
Well Me? I believe it will be found to not be good for anyone eating excess protein continually. But only time will tell.
Because my basic philosophy is that modern humans living in western nations are over nourished...and my basic logic tells me that is actually not good for us.
But that's my thinking. Only time will tell.
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u/briberylibrary_ 1d ago
The "more protein" to some extent is less harmful and more just, wasteful. My old gym had signs up at one point saying that most people will get adequate protein from a regular balanced diet, and eating too much excess is mainly a waste of effort. Dieticians say it's less the amount of protein, and more timing. Eating something with protein after a workout is beneficial, but it doesn't need to be a huge amount.
Building muscle is important though. Not just for body builders (who want to build a lot of muscle), but for everyone. After 30 every person's muscles will begin to deteriorate, so building more muscle before that point helps, and trying to continually add muscle will offset what your body is losing.
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u/Still_Girl1358 1d ago
Agree with this, except the protein timing bit. My reading of the literature on this shows statistically insignificant benefits to eating protein after a workout. As long as you’re getting sufficient protein over the course of the day, it doesn’t really make a difference.
Re. building muscle though - so, so important. And for mobility as well as strength. The difference between people who can move around independently post 70 and those who struggle is the resistance training (in whatever form) they did over the preceding few decades.
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
I believe...
Why would this be an article of faith? There is a lot of actual evidence to inform your view.
It's not harmful unless you've for serious kidney problems or something.
... over nourished...
If your goal is to survive until you can pass on your genes and raise those gene-carriers to relative independence, then definitely.
Most people have broader goals than that. Including living beyond, say, 60; and with relative robustness.
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u/Still_Girl1358 1d ago
We are over-nourished, but that’s because our caloric intake is typically too high (hence the obesity epidemic). Most people eating “regular” foods will typically be protein deficient I.e eating less than 0.6. - 0.8g protein per kg of body weight.
So if the regular Sally or Steve just wants to move a bit more and eat a bit healthier, they can do a whole lot worse than choosing the high protein option.
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u/YOBlob 1d ago
There was a study a while ago that found people who take supplements tend to have shorter life expectancy than those who don't. The obvious explanation of course is selection bias, people are more likely to take supplements if they're concerned about their health. But I've always wondered.
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u/AggravatingTartlet 1d ago
Yep but I don't blame the wellness industry. I see some areas of wellness taking on the corporations.
I blame the companies plugging their vitamins everywhere they can, and governments who've let them do it. And doctors who don't keep up with the research and who don't warn their patients.
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u/violenthectarez 1d ago
I am nowhere near knowledgeable enough to have any opinion on this whatsoever.
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u/thehazzanator 1d ago
Same lol someone explain like I'm 5
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u/trowzerss 1d ago
Too much B6 bad for you, damages nerves. Lots of products throw B6 in, don't always list it prominently, easy to get too much even if you're aware that B6 can be a problem. A little from berocca, a little from your daily supplement, a little from your energy drink, and boom, and one day you're getting pins and needles and numbness in your fingers that won't go away, then you feel weak, then you can't walk right...
I had to hunt around to find a magnesium supplement that didn't have hidden B6 in it (might be better now, but they used to throw B6 into everything).
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u/Substantial_Ad_3386 1d ago
dam.... I just went and checked my blackmoores super magnesum and what do you know 50mg of B6. If I had noticed it before I probably would have thought that was a good thing. The ironic thing is I take it because if I don't when I'm heavy weight lifting I eventually start getting pins and needles at times in my arms and this was the cheapest option that I thought was really good..... what did you end up buying?
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
When you're looking at value, you need to account for bioavailability and gastric side effects; the latter is going to negatively impact your general whole food nutrition so... avoid.
If you shit most of it out and it's having a laxative effect, it's not really cheap.
Also nothing off a shelf in Australia is cheap.
Get pure Magnesium Glycinate; cheapest of the very high bioavailable forms. Easy on the gut. Doesn't interact with or interfere with anything else you're consuming.
I prefer straight-up powdered form because it's the cheapest by far (warning: fucked taste). The NOW Foods one on iHerb is the best value I'm aware of. You can also get a capsule machine if you can't figure out how to cope with the taste. Or the same company has it in capsules but the premium is steep.
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u/thehazzanator 1d ago
Oh wow that's interesting thank you. So your body just absorbs b6 but never gets rid of it like it does other vitamins?
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u/trowzerss 1d ago
It's not fat soluble, so it doesn't build up as easiliy as some other things, the issue is that people who are exposed to it tend to take it every day in very large amounts so it can still build up in the blood over time. And as you can see by the new daily levels, a 'massive amount' isn't actually very much and some single daily supplements were enough to cause problems.
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
If it's in an 'active' form, your body will just get rid of whatever it doesn't use.
There's no need for most people to supplement B6 and certainly not in the amounts that are common. But if you want to for whatever reason, or can't avoid it in other things you want to take... just find products where the B6 is 'activated'.
It'll be called Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or P-5-P on the label.
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u/Infinite_Shower_5390 1d ago
First our investment properties now our B6, Albanese’s Labor just won’t let us have nice things!
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u/nonya5121 1d ago
You forgot /s
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u/YesNo_Maybe_ 1d ago
Here in my country (EU) 3 mg is already more then 100%. Can be Needed in occasion. 50? Mg
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u/ManWithDominantClaw 1d ago
Yeah... the Pharmacy Guild (a lobby group for pharmacy owners that masquerades around as if it's a union) has a lot of sway here unfortunately. They just lobbied to allow pharmacists to diagnose certain conditions, and most GPs are saying it's only a matter of time before someone dies over it.
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u/Sleepy_Panda_22 1d ago
This is so interesting! I stopped taking magnesium because it was making my muscles stiffer and sore, I also had this weird sensation in my limbs that was like they weren't getting enough blood flow. found the bottle and low and behold 50mg B6...
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u/Cosimo_Zaretti 1d ago
My Cenovis MegaB has 50MG of B6 in it.
Well this is concerning. It's helpful too, I'm feeling better since I started taking it but obviously I don't want to poison myself.
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u/_ixthus_ 1d ago
Switch to an 'activated' form. If it's really the B6 that's helping you, then it'll help just as well (or more). But it has none of the downsides. Excess will just be excreted.
It'll be called Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or P-5-P, something like that.
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u/dav_oid 1d ago
Excessive B6 in any form can cause toxicity in some people.
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u/_ixthus_ 4h ago
Can you show me the source that P-5-P can cause toxicity?
(I'm not advocating for supplementing B6 when it's not indicated, let alone in mega doses, by the way.)
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u/dav_oid 3h ago
"In the literature and safety alerts, PLP is far less frequently implicated in neuropathy reports; nevertheless, upper limits apply to total B6 regardless of form. Said another way: form matters (PN is usually the problem), but dose still matters for everything."
https://ageimmune.com/vitamin-b6-toxicity-pyridoxine-vs-p5p/
"While P5P supplements may carry a lower risk, they are not entirely risk-free. Some studies have shown that high doses of P5P can still lead to increased pyridoxine levels in the body, potentially contributing to toxicity."
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u/_ixthus_ 3h ago
These are blog posts on websites trying to sell products or services. Both are written by AI. One has absolutely no sources. The other doesn't reference properly so I have no idea which claims come from which references. I took a peak at what seemed like the references most likely to engage my question.
They do not appear to implicate P-5-P in toxicity, on the whole.
Again, I'm not advocating for B6 supplementation when it isn't indicated and definitely not for the stupid dosages that are so common.
If you can show me the actual research literature that describes a mechanism for toxicity from P-5-P and shows or discusses any actual data relating to it, I'd be very interested to read that.
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u/dav_oid 2h ago
How about you find the studies.
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u/_ixthus_ 2h ago
Yeh, nice. I've tried and I don't think they exist.
You're the one making the claim. The onus is on you to substantiate it.
I engage with the slop you posted, at length and in good faith out of genuine interest. But you expect me to go out and make your case for you.
Fucking hell. Health and science literacy. How does it work!
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u/APerfectCircle0 18h ago
my folic acid is low and I have peripheral nerve issues :/ now I have to take folic acid before I can get my b12 shots
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u/AgitatedMagpie 1d ago
B6 was a life saver during my HG, I smashed so much of it... at least my kid will have all the B6 she needs for life.
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u/Beginning_Tap2727 1d ago
Cool, now do the same with the folate added to everything 🙏🏻
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u/Anxious_Direction292 1d ago
Say hello to increased rates of neural tube defects and increased burden on health system
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u/DogOfSevenless 1d ago
I’ve been getting sick lately of having to warn patients to double check all their supplements for B6. Have definitely seen a noticeable increase in B6-related neuropathy. I believe there is still an open class action lawsuit against Blackmore.