Superfoods for Smokers:
10 Foods with the Most Vitamin B6

The Health Benefits of Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps your body metabolize proteins and red blood cells, while it also helps boost your immune system, maintain blood sugar levels and keep skin looking youthful. Turns out it also might help in a surprising way: Fighting cancer. A new study links Vitamin B6 to reduced risk of lung cancer, even in current and former smokers.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 1.3 mg for both men and women (it's 1.7 mg for men over 50 and 1.5 mg for women over 50). Here you'll find the 10 foods with the most Vitamin B6, according to the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

1. Cereal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Vitamin B6 is just one of the many reasons. Fortified cereals typically have high amounts of Vitamin B6, and cereals made from ingredients naturally high in Vitamin B6 (like rice and buckwheat) can have naturally high levels, too. Check out your favorite brand for nutritional information.

For foods that provide Vitamin B6 without fortification, read on. For more breakfast tips, try these 10 quick, healthy breakfast options.

1. Chickpeas

A cup of this Middle-Eastern legume has 1.13 mg of Vitamin B6, nearly a whole day's supply. Plus, unlike some other top sources of Vitamin B6, chickpeas are a staple of vegetarian and vegan diets.

Recipes:
Chickpea-Potato Fritters with Nigella Seeds
Chickpea Salad with Carrots, Walnuts, and French Feta
Chickpea, Kale, and Tomato Salad
Black Bean Hummus

3. Yellowfin Tuna

Sushi, anyone? Adding yellowfin tuna to your diet not only helps you reap the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but also gives you a good source of Vitamin B6. Three ounces of fish has 0.88 mg of the nutrient, about two-thirds of the daily supply.

According to Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector, consumers concerned about the health of the oceans should only eat U.S. Atlantic yellowfin tuna or fish caught with pole-and-line gear.

4. Beef

Before you turn away from the red meat section in your local market, remember beef is a good source of nutrients. A 3 oz. cut of beef has 0.87 mg of Vitamin B6, about two-thirds of the daily recommended amount. Look for locally raised grass-fed beef, so you can limit the environmental impact associated with raising livestock.

Recipes:
Beef Brisket with Fresh and Dried Mushroom
Shepherd's Pie with Brown Ale
Beef and Barley with Mushrooms
Grandma Kelly’s Organic Beef Stew
Plum-Spiced Beef Brisket
Chayote in Ground Beef Tomato Sauce

5. Turkey

This traditional holiday bird is high is Vitamin B6 -- a cup of turkey meat has 0.84 mg of the nutrient, nearly two-thirds of a day's suppply. Don't forget to support local farms by purchasing heritage turkeys, and look for organic free-range birds when possible.

Eat turkey any day of the year with these recipes:
Turkey and Vegetable Stir Fry
Turkey Scallopini with Apricot Sauce
Turkey Curry
Roasting Heritage Turkeys
Maple-Glazed Turkey with Sage-Infused Butter
Hearty Turkey Soup
Turkey Cutlets with Spicy Eggplant Relish
Achiote-Citrus Roasted Heritage Turkey
Orange Rosemary Turkey, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Arugula
Herb Grilled Turkey Breast with Mushroom Quinoa and Asparagus

6. Brown Rice

Like other whole grains, brown rice is generally much more nutrient-packed than its bleached cousin. But even a cup of white rice has 0.84 mg of Vitamin B6, nearly two-thirds of a day's supply.

Recipes:
Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Shrimp and Rice Casserole

7. Potatoes

Make breakfast even tastier with homemade hashed brown potatoes. One cup has 0.73 mg of Vitamin B6, more than half a day's supply. This superfood, America's favorite vegetable, is also a great source of potassium.

But be wary! Potatoes can be laced with pesticides. (See the Dirty Dozen: 12 Food to Eat Organic for more information.) Better choose organic potatoes whenever possible.

Recipes:
Potato Latkes with Pear Applesauce
South-of-the-Border Vegetable Hash
Sunshine Potato Salad
Portobellos with Potato and Swiss Chard
Gluten-free Twice-Baked Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes with Celeriac
Double-Stuffed Potatoes
Baked Mashed Potato Casserole
Boneless Chicken with Potato-Pepper Hash
Gorgonzola Potatoes and Peas
Creamy Pale Ale Potato Soup
Oven-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fennel and Tarragon
Fingerling Potatoes with Asti Spumante
Gluten-free Pasta with Potatoes, Zucchini and Shrimp
Peasant-Style Potato and Kale Soup
Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Parsnips and Turnips
Sauteed Trout Fillet with Crispy Sage and Prosciutto, Early Summer Vegetable Beurre Blanc, Wilted Spinach and Potato Puree
Potato Pie
Mashed Russet Potatoes with Root Vegetables
Red Pepper and Potato Home Fries
Farmers Market Potato Surprise

8. Chestnuts

These nuts are a great source of Vitamin B6 and are also full of fiber. One cup of roasted chestnuts have 0.71 mg of Vitamin B6, more than half a day's supply.

Recipes:
Chestnut Soup
Butternut Squash-Chestnut Soup with Balsamic Caramelized Pears
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Prunes

9. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat is an important ingredient to a gluten-free lifestyle and is also a good source of dietary fiber and, of course, Vitamin B6. One cup of buckwheat flour has 0.70 mg of the nutrient, more than half a day's supply.

Recipes:
Buckwheat Noodles with Spicy Zucchini Sauce
Buckwheat Blini
Viking Apple Cake
Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Soba
Multi-Grain Bread

10. Halibut

Another fish that is a good source of Vitamin B6 is halibut. This large flatfish has 0.63 mg per half fillet, nearly half a day's supply.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, the most safe (contaminant-free) and sustainable (from healthy wild stocks) halibut come from the Pacific, so ask where that halibut's from before making a purchase at the fish counter.

Recipe:
Oil-Poached Halibut with Gribiche and Poached Eggs