---
title: Do women with PMS have lower vitamin B6 levels? | Niyora
description: No. Vitamin B6 levels were the same in women with PMS and control women. However, women with PMS showed slightly higher levels of certain tryptophan breakdown
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/vitamin-b6-status-of-women-suffering-from-premenstrual-syndrome-1986/
---

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- Do women with PMS have lower vitamin B6 levels?

Case-control study, 1986

# Do women with PMS have lower vitamin B6 levels?

No. Vitamin B6 levels were the same in women with PMS and control women. However, women with PMS showed slightly higher levels of certain tryptophan breakdown products, which deserves further study.

 Early or limited evidence

19 women with PMS and 19 matched control women

## What they did

Researchers measured vitamin B6 levels and tryptophan metabolism in blood and urine samples from 19 women with PMS and 19 matched control women throughout one full menstrual cycle.

## What they found

There were no significant differences in vitamin B6 forms, enzyme activity, or urine markers between the two groups. Women with PMS tended to have higher excretion of tryptophan metabolites xanthurenic acid and 8-methyl-xanthurenic acid, both before and after a tryptophan test. Both groups showed significant cyclic variation in B6 markers during the menstrual cycle.

## What it means for you

PMS does not appear to be caused by simple vitamin B6 deficiency. The slightly higher tryptophan metabolites in women with PMS are interesting and deserve further investigation. The study is small, so results need confirmation in larger groups before drawing firm conclusions.

19

women with PMS

19

control women

## About the study

Original title Vitamin B6 status of women suffering from premenstrual syndrome Authors van den Berg H, Louwerse ES, Bruinse HW et al. Journal Human nutrition. Clinical nutrition Year 1986 Study design Case-control study Participants 19 What was tested None - observational study measuring existing B6 levels Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3793524/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3793524/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Vitamin B6](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-b6/)

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