Healthy living must be on the mind because, in
addition to sugar regulation, Colorado lawmakers are considering a ban on all trans fat in school food.
More than one hundred vitamin B6 - dependent enzymes have been identified, mostly involved in amino acid metabolism: for oxygen transport via hemoglobin synthesis; in blood
sugar regulation via conversion of stored carbohydrate
to energy; in the development of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells; in the conversion of alphalinoleic acid
to the essential long - chain fatty acid DHA; 28 and in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, phospholipids and sphingolipids, the vitamin niacin from tryptophan, and other vital metabolites.5 In
addition to its role in enzyme reactions, B6 appears
to moderate the action of some steroid hormones such as the glucocorticoid hormones, which in turn influence the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and lipids.5, 9 B6 also is a potent antioxidant, rivaling carotenoids and vitamin E in its ability
to quench reactive oxidants in the body.29