Vitamin B6
Shelled pistachios top our database for vitamin B6 at 1.7 mg per 100 grams, and then sunflower seeds at 1.35 mg and wheat bran at 1.3 mg. Europe applies 1.4 mg per day as the reference intake (EU NRV). Unlike most B vitamins, the leading group here is plant-based rather than organ meat.
The permitted statements about vitamin B6
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 lists for this vitamin, among others: "vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism", "vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue" and "vitamin B6 contributes to the normal function of the immune system". The first is the most interesting for our audience, because protein and glycogen metabolism is exactly the territory strength training works in. Interesting is not the same as a performance promise, and we do not make one here.
Five sources, with the real values
Per 100 grams we measure: shelled pistachios 1.7 mg, sunflower seeds 1.35 mg, wheat bran 1.3 mg, garlic 1.24 mg and liver 1.0 mg. Sesame seeds follow at 0.79 mg. Garlic in fourth place deserves a footnote: the per-100-gram content is high, but nobody eats a hundred grams of garlic. In a realistic portion of a few cloves a fraction remains. Nuts, seeds and bran do the real work here, in portions you actually eat.
1.4 mg a day, tied to your protein intake
The reference is 1.4 mg per day (EU NRV). One thing matters with this vitamin: the requirement is linked to how much protein passes through your metabolism. Someone eating 180 grams of protein a day asks more of this system than someone sitting at 70 grams. The EU NRV knows no such nuance — it is a single number for everybody. That is precisely why we never present a label value as a personal target.
Where intake lags in practice
We rarely see it run tight in people who eat nuts and seeds, and more often in patterns built entirely from meat, white grain and dairy with no plant fat sources alongside. That is a solvable pattern: thirty grams of mixed seeds a day already changes the sum. What we do not do is infer from a shortlist that something is wrong. That judgement belongs with your GP, with a real measurement behind it.
Why a high dose is a poor idea here
We sell nothing and recommend no product. It is fair to note that vitamin B6 is one of the few water-soluble vitamins with an established safe upper level, precisely because a sustained very high intake from supplements can have unwanted effects. More is demonstrably not better here. In a coaching programme we steer the fat sources in the daily menu; those settle this vitamin without adding anything that has to be dosed.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most vitamin B6?
Shelled pistachios lead at 1.7 mg per 100 grams, and then sunflower seeds at 1.35 mg and wheat bran at 1.3 mg.
How much vitamin B6 per day?
The European reference intake is 1.4 mg per day (EU NRV). It is a labelling value for adults; actual requirement is linked partly to your protein intake.
Do you need more vitamin B6 on a high-protein diet?
Requirement is tied to the amount of protein your metabolism processes. The EU NRV does not express that; it is one average value for all adults.
Can vitamin B6 from supplements run too high?
A safe upper level has been established for this vitamin, which is unusual among water-soluble vitamins. Discussing doses therefore belongs with a doctor, not with a website.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
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Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.