"B+" continued… Looking for a versatile vitamin? I nominate vitamin B-6. In the e-Alert "B +" (5/17/05) that I sent you earlier this week I told you how levels of vitamin B-6 that exceed the recommended daily
allowance (RDA) of 2 mg for men and 1.6 mg for women may help prevent colorectal cancer. In that same e-Alert I also hinted at some of the other ways that B-6 can be effective. As HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., has already noted, he uses B-6 as a diuretic in his practice. He says the vitamin works especially well with women, and MOST especially if there's fluid retention associated with the monthly cycle. But B-6 doesn't stop there. Here's Dr. Spreen with some additional uses: "For carpal tunnel syndrome (which is involved with interstitial fluid taking up too much space within the carpal tunnel of the wrist, resulting in pressure on the nerve and causing numbness, tingling, and pain), 90 days of B-6 treatment is often required for the symptoms to completely subside. Retained fluid in general, however, can start leaving the first night (and can be disconcerting to a person who's now urinating more than they know they've been drinking…the interstitial fluid is leaving). "B-6 is also used for morning sickness (along with magnesium) and I've seen it work in about two-thirds of cases. There are other causes, but it can really help. "B-6 has recently been linked to heart disease prevention, as it helps lower serum homocysteine (along with B-12, folic acid, and
trimethylglycine). Adding magnesium here most definitely helps, as magnesium makes B-6 work better, and works beneficially on the heart in its own right (see 'Keep Your Ticker Ticking', my favorite work to date). Bearing in mind that serum homocysteine is far more important than serum cholesterol as a heart disease risk factor, B-6 is big." Dr. Spreen's "Keep Your Ticker Ticking" is one of the most popular reports published by HSI. And as if all of these health benefits weren't enough, it should be noted that a deficiency of vitamin B-6 has also been associated with glucose intolerance; a precursor of type 2 diabetes. | 
