Vitamin B6: Role in the Body, Sources & Which Microgreens Have It

That B6 tablet a friend swears fixes her mood swings right before her period, or the multivitamin marketed for “PMS relief” with B6 sitting near the top of the label? The connection isn't imaginary, though the real story runs through a much bigger biochemical system than any bottle label explains.

Vitamin B6 doesn't have a single headline function the way folate or vitamin C does. It's involved in dozens of metabolic reactions through one shared chemical trick, which is worth understanding before looking at what AgriZen's Sunflower microgreens actually contribute.

What It Is

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in several related chemical forms (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine, plus their phosphorylated versions). The liver converts all of these into a single active coenzyme form, pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP), which is the form that actually does the work described below.

Role in the Body

PLP as a universal amino acid handler

PLP works by forming a temporary chemical bond, called a Schiff base, with the amino group of an amino acid substrate. Once bonded, this PLP-amino acid complex stabilises the kind of unstable, high-energy intermediate needed for several distinct reaction types: transamination (transferring an amino group from one molecule to another, the core reaction of amino acid synthesis and breakdown), decarboxylation (removing a carboxyl group, the step that converts several amino acids directly into neurotransmitters), and deamination. This is why more than 100 different enzymes across amino acid metabolism all rely on the same PLP coenzyme rather than each needing a unique cofactor.

Neurotransmitter synthesis via decarboxylation

The decarboxylation reactions above are how the body converts specific amino acids into signalling molecules: PLP-dependent aromatic amino acid decarboxylase converts the amino acid precursors of serotonin and dopamine into their active forms, and glutamate decarboxylase uses PLP to produce GABA, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. This is a real, well-documented mechanism, though it's a long distance from that mechanism to any specific claim about mood or mental health, which isn't being made here.

Glycogen breakdown and haemoglobin synthesis

PLP is also the required cofactor for glycogen phosphorylase, the enzyme that breaks down stored glycogen into glucose for energy, and for delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the pathway that builds haem, the iron-containing ring structure at the centre of haemoglobin. This haem-synthesis role is why, like folate and B12, a genuine B6 deficiency can contribute to a specific type of anaemia.

Food Sources (General)

Poultry, fish, potatoes, chickpeas, and fortified cereals are common dietary sources. Among plant foods, sunflower seeds and pistachios stand out as particularly concentrated sources at maturity.

Which Microgreens Have It

Sunflower has the strongest general-food-science backing here: mature dried sunflower seed kernels are genuinely one of the higher plant-based B6 sources, so a real contribution at the microgreen stage is a reasonable expectation, though this is extrapolated from the seed, not a measured microgreen figure. Kale and Amaranth weren't found to have meaningful B6 backing at maturity either, so this post doesn't make a B6 claim for them.

RDI reference: approximately 1.9 mg/day (adult), per ICMR-NIN 2020 Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians. No % RDI column is included, since no verified microgreen-stage figure exists.

One correction worth making directly here: a claim circulates online that “amaranth and sunflower microgreens are packed with Vitamin D.” This isn't consistent with basic plant biology; plants don't synthesise vitamin D the way animals or UV-exposed mushrooms do, and no credible source supporting the claim was found.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does eating these microgreens actually help with mood or PMS the way supplement labels imply?

The biochemistry connecting B6 to neurotransmitter production (serotonin, dopamine, GABA) is real, but that's a long way from a specific microgreen having a measurable mood effect at typical garnish-sized servings. Supplement marketing tends to skip that distance entirely.

Do microgreens contain vitamin D?

Generally, no. Vitamin D synthesis in animals and humans depends on UV exposure acting on a cholesterol-derived precursor in skin, a pathway plants don't have. Standard leafy microgreens grown under typical LED or ambient light aren't a source of vitamin D, regardless of claims you may see elsewhere.

Can too much vitamin B6 actually be harmful?

At very high, sustained doses, typically from long-term supplementation rather than food, excess B6 has been linked to peripheral neuropathy, numbness and tingling from nerve damage. It's one of the few water-soluble vitamins with a genuine, well-documented overdose risk, though it applies to supplement-level intake, not anything achievable through diet, microgreens included.

A Note on This Information

Everything above describes documented nutritional biochemistry and published research, not medical advice. Nothing on this page is a claim that any AgriZen microgreen treats, prevents, cures, or manages a medical condition. If you're managing a health condition, taking medication, pregnant, or have specific dietary needs, please check with a doctor or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet.