What do fatigue, infertility, and anxiety have in common?

Vitamin B6 Deficiency!

This is a big deal because without adequate vitamin B6, we cannot manufacture progesterone.

Without progesterone, we feel anxious, restless, and experience insomnia.

Without progesterone, our immune health, bone health, cardiovascular health, and thyroid health suffers.

Without progesterone, we cannot maintain a pregnancy.

VITAMIN B6 IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORPUS LUTEUM, THE GLAND FROM WHICH YOUR EGG WAS RELEASED

When our eggs are in our ovaries developing, they are encased in a little sac called the corpus luteum. After ovulation, this sac turns into an endocrine gland, and it's whole job is to secrete adequate progesterone in the event of pregnancy. The corpus luteum will then continue to secrete progesterone throughout the first trimester until the placenta takes over the progesterone duties. This is why miscarriage is so common in the first trimester, and often related to progesterone deficiency, simply because there is not enough progesterone present to sustain a pregnancy.

Progesterone deficiency can bring about symptoms during the luteal (premenstrual) phase of your cycle. This is because progesterone opposes the effects of too much estrogen, and if there's not enough progesterone to offset estrogen, we get symptoms such as breast pain, moodiness, depression, bloating, weight gain, hot flashes, decreased libido, and PMS.

B6 is also responsible for making healthy red blood cells. And without sufficient RBCs, you may experience fatigue, anxiety, exercise intolerance, and even hair loss.

Causes of a B6 Deficiency

Stress

Stress causes our bodies to use up lots of progesterone to make more cortisol, one of our primary stress hormones. So you may have enough in vitamin B6 stores to make progesterone, but you burn through it when you're under lots of stress

Over-Exercising

Working out too much, especially tons of cardio during your luteal phase, can create MORE internal stress in the body. This has the same impact on your cortisol and progesterone levels

Hormonal Birth Control

Oral contraceptives are known to deplete many important micronutrients, including B6. This is because the pill prevents proper absorption of vitamins by impairing gut health and altering the gut microbiome

Booze

booze is bad news for our hormones, and is especially depleting of our B vitamin stores. B vitamins are destroyed by frequent alcohol intake, even if you do supplement and consume vitamin B6 rich foods

Food Sources of Vitamin B6

WILD CAUGHT SALMON

BANANAS

GRASS FED BEEF

CHICKEN

SPINACH

SWEET POTATOES

GARLIC

SUNFLOWER SEEDS

WILD CAUGHT TUNA

The main sources of vitamin B6 are from animal proteins, so if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you may be more vulnerable to B6 deficiency and therefore, progesterone deficiency as a result.

Check out my recent posts about the power of progesterone and signs of a progesterone deficiency for more info about this amazing hormone!

Our diet and lifestyle choices have major impacts on the state of our health, the quality if our menstrual cycles, and the balance of our hormones, and extent to which we have symptoms.

Tell me below, are you experiencing vitamin B6 deficiency like anxiety, infertility and fatigue? I would love to know how I can support you around this!

Yours In Abundant Health!

xoxo,

Emily 😊