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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for vitamin B6 is 100 mg a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts vitamin B6 from food, water and supplements together.
Check your amount
Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Type the amount from your label to compare it with the upper limit.
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Vitamin B6 upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 7-12 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 30 mg | 30 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 40 mg | 40 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 60 mg | 60 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 80 mg | 80 mg | 80 mg | 80 mg |
| 19-30 years | 100 mg | 100 mg | 100 mg | 100 mg |
| 31-50 years | 100 mg | 100 mg | 100 mg | 100 mg |
| 51-70 years | 100 mg | 100 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 100 mg | 100 mg | – | – |
No upper limit could be set for babies; the National Academies say their intake should come from food and formula only.
How much Vitamin B6 you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0.1 mg* | 0.1 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 0.3 mg* | 0.3 mg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 0.5 mg | 0.5 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 0.6 mg | 0.6 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 1 mg | 1 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 1.3 mg | 1.2 mg | 1.9 mg | 2 mg |
| 19-30 years | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg | 1.9 mg | 2 mg |
| 31-50 years | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg | 1.9 mg | 2 mg |
| 51-70 years | 1.7 mg | 1.5 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 1.7 mg | 1.5 mg | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Vitamin B6 limit
The limit counts vitamin B6 from food, water and supplements together.
What happens with too much Vitamin B6
The National Academies state that "The critical adverse effect from high intake of the vitamin is sensory neuropathy". They set the adult UL at 100 mg/day by dividing a no-observed-adverse-effect level of 200 mg/day by an uncertainty factor of 2. The report says no adverse effects have been tied to vitamin B6 from food, and that the larger therapeutic doses used for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome are likely to carry increased risk (DRI for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6…, 1998, ch. 7).
Sources: Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019), DRI summary tables; National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin B6 fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.