Everyone says, “Take your vitamins.” If only they’d let us! Vitamin B6 is something of a miracle worker. The FDA bans one of the most bioavailable forms of it so a drug company can monopolize it. Now even the form of B-6 we can’t live without is at risk of being banned for the same reason—because a drug company wants it!
Pyridoxamine—one of only three natural and bioavailable forms of B6—inhibits aging and disease progression. It’s especially effective at inhibiting the formation of what are called Advanced Glycation End-products, or AGEs. This is a particularly appropriate abbreviation, since pyridoxamine’s target seems to be age-related problems like skin wrinkling, atherosclerosis, chronic inflammation, cataract formation, kidney failure, diabetic complications, and Alzheimer’s disease. Life Extension magazine offered a marvelous explanation of how this unique form of B6 works in our bodies to fight glycation and slow aging.
Unfortunately, FDA banned pyridoxamine in 2008 in response to a petition from a drug company that wanted to use it in their own drug formulation. This means our only access to pyridoxamine will be via the synthetic drug version. The ban on pyridoxamine as a supplement is a tremendous loss.
An alternative to pyridoxamine, and one that has similar anti-glycation properties, is one of the other forms of vitamin B6—a compound called pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, or P5P. It’s the only one that can be used directly by the body without conversion. While everyone needs B6 to live, some people have difficulty converting other forms of B6 to P5P, so the elimination of natural P5P could make them entirely dependent on drugs for survival.
P5P lowers the body’s levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a potential risk factor in cardiovascular disease. P5P also supports protein metabolism and muscle growth, and helps overcome premenstrual symptoms and depression by encouraging the production of the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. New research has demonstrated that P5P may also protect against pancreatic cancer; other studies demonstrate that P5P protects against kidney disease and eye disease.
P5P exists in food, and has been available as a supplement for years. But now even P5P is under threat! The FDA has a petition from Medicure Pharma to ban P5P. If the petition is approved, we will have to wait until we get sick to obtain a prescription for the drug. We’ll no longer be able to maintain optimal health and prevent aging and diseases like cancer by proactively keeping P5P at the optimal level. It would be a complete travesty if P5P disappears from the market like pyridoxamine.
We have asked you in the past to send a message to the FDA and Congress protesting Medicure’s attempt to grab P5P, and we need to keep the pressure on—the stakes are just too high. If you haven’t yet written to the FDA and Congress, please do so today. And if you have already sent your message, thank you—but if you don’t mind, please write again and continue to voice your objections. Don’t let the FDA take away our access to this natural miracle-worker. Please take action now!
TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO THE FDA AND CONGRESS Click THIS LINK to go to the Action Alert page. Once there, fill out the form with your name and address, etc., and customize your letter. We have a suggested message for you, but please feel free to add your own comments to the letter. |
