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🌟 Essential Nutrient: VITAMIN B6 🌟
Many horses are deficient in B6, especially those who don’t have adequate access to fresh forage and/or have GI tract issues.
Deficiencies:
- many horses struggle to absorb nutrients due to compromised digestion; especially if issues like ulcers, colic, leaky gut, stress, lack of adequate nutrition, etc. are present.
**But- horses get their B6 from microbes in the hindgut; so if the hindgut is in dysfunction, then adequate levels of vitamins may not be produced and adequately absorbed. So make sure the GI tract is healthy, functional, and happy first and foremost! - Possible causes of deficiency:
~ inadequate levels in diet, excess protein, medications, and low levels of B12 - Signs of deficiency:
~ hormonal imbalances, weight gain, joint inflammation, insulin resistance, skin issues, depression/anxiety, and/or toxicity problems
💊 Benefits of B6 for Biological Processes 💊
- Major Role: heavily involved in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism: all B vitamins are important for metabolism
- releases glycogen from the liver; important for liver health and liver processes
- helps with magnesium absorption, thus B12 absorption
- helps with itchy skin, hives, dermatitis (also signs of deficiency of B6)
- helps improve immunity through assisting in creating immune cells like T-Lymphocytes and interleukins, and helps regulate immune responses
- helps with inflammatory responses and fluid retention
- Brain Health: assists in brain development, help produce neurotransmitters, role in serotonin & melatonin production, and an important regulator in the nervous system
- helps with hormone balance, regulating estrogen, and hormone metabolism (horses with metabolic issues have extra strain on the liver, which can impede hormone metabolism due to an overtaxed/dysfunctioning liver)
- hard cycling mares, mares with metabolic or insulin issues, chronic cyclers, etc.
- hormone imbalances in geldings too
Due to the properties, B6 supplementation can really help support metabolic horses, aging horses, arthritic horses, young horses, horses with itchy & dry skin, anxiety and/or depression.
•The common form of B6 for horses is pyridoxine
~There are equine supplements for B6, but you can also find high milligram pills in your local health foods store
~ free choice Bs may be a good choice if wanting to supply the other B vitamins as well
