On Tuesday, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced a raft of changes to how products containing vitamin B6 are packaged and sold.

The TGA decision is based on an extensive review, prompted by widespread concerns earlier this year that high doses were causing toxicity and leading to lasting nerve damage.

The TGA says the tighter controls – which include restrictions on over-the-counter sales for higher doses – will strike a balance between the vitamin’s benefits and its potential harms.

This may leave some people confused about whether vitamin B6 is safe to take. How much is too much? And can I still buy my supplement over-the-counter?

How much vitamin B6 do we need?

B6 (also known as pyridoxine, pyridoxamine and pyridoxal) is an essential vitamin for good health, involved in more than 140 processes in the body.

But we can’t produce it ourselves, so we need to get it elsewhere – mainly from our diet.

B6 can be found in a wide range of foods, including animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.

Plant-based sources include:

• legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils and beans)
• vegetables (including potatoes, spinach, carrots and kale)
• fruits (such as avocado, bananas and oranges)
• grains (including corn, brown rice, oats and fortified cereals).

The recommended dietary daily intake of B6 varies based on age. So wherever you get it – diet or supplements – this is the recommended amount per day.

The upper recommended limit for healthy adults is 50mg/day.

But the recommended intake is lower for infants and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. For detailed information, visit the government’s Eat for Health website.

Too much vs too little

Vitamin B6 deficiency has been linked to diseases including some kinds of cancer, mental health disorders, and cardiovascular disease (such as heart attacks or strokes). However, this kind of deficiency is not common in Australia.

Still, some people choose to take vitamin B6 as a supplement. Or they may take other products and be unaware they contain it.

This can increase the risk of having too much – which can be toxic.

Taking high doses of vitamin B6 over a long time can lead to poisoning and cause peripheral neuropathy. This condition damages the nervous system and causes pain, weakness, numbness and tingling, mainly in the limbs.

Toxicity from food sources is extremely rare, including among individuals with enzyme deficiencies that slow B6 metabolism.

Almost all documented vitamin B6 toxicity results from excessive supplement intake, as levels found in natural foods remain well below harmful thresholds.

What is changing? How much can I buy?

The TGA’s decision to tighten rules about vitamin B6 products responds to a worrying number of peripheral neuropathy cases in Australia, linked to various vitamin supplements.

The tighter measures will come into effect on June 1 2027. The changes include:

• pharmacist supervision for purchase of products containing more than 50mg but less than 200mg of B6 per recommended daily dose
• prescriptions required for products with more than 200mg of B6 per recommended daily dose.

This means the products now requiring prescriptions or pharmacist supervision have around 19–117 times the recommended intake. Products with 50mg per recommended daily dose or less will still be available over-the-counter.

The amount of B6 which might cause toxicity is not fully known, as it seems to vary across the population. Some studies have identified nerve damage in people taking less than 500mg/day, but not below 200mg/day. So this is likely why the TGA chose these limits.

Combining products increases your risk

The new regulations are likely to affect specific standalone B6 products, which tend to have the highest doses.

But B6 is commonly also added to multivitamins, “ageing support” supplements, skin and hair support products, and effervescent products such as Berocca. Most of these contain less than 50mg in the daily recommended dose, and so will continue to be available over the counter.

Many people are unaware how much vitamin B6 they are consuming, often across multiple supplements.

It is likely the combination of these products that leads to people unknowingly consuming significant enough doses to cause harm.

Changes to labelling

The TGA’s report also acknowledged the need for clearer labelling, including mandatory front-of-pack statements that indicate when a product contains vitamin B6 – especially in combination products.

Most of the 125 medicines containing more than 50mg and less than 200mg per recommended daily dose of vitamin B6 are currently listed as complementary medicines. They will need to be registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and relabelled.

But the report says the TGA may decide to introduce further packaging changes, including strengthening warning statements and change how vitamin B6 is labelled.

The takeaway

If you take vitamin supplements of any kind, check the label to ensure you are not exceeding the recommendations (50mg/day is more than adequate) across all your supplements.

If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice. If you’re worried you’ve taken too much vitamin B6, see a doctor.

Oolong tea doesn’t get the love it deserves. It’s commonly referred to as the “middle child” of teas, since it’s made through partially oxidation and always overlooked in favor of more popular green teas (oldest, wisest, and minimally oxidized) and black teas (youngest, boldest, and fully oxidized). 

But here’s the thing about oolong: It’s enigmatic, with such a wide variety of flavor profiles that can suit almost any taste. As a category, it’s tricky to pin down—and since it’s newer to the West, a lot of people simply don’t know where to start. I have a feeling it will take off, though. We’ve seen the matcha-ssance hit cities and grocery stores over the past decade, and I’m calling it now: Oolong is the next matcha-style craze. By reading this ranking, you’re already ahead of the trend! Go you. 

How we sourced the oolong tea brands

Look, this isn’t necessarily a list of the best oolong tea brands man has to offer… it’s more like what man has available within reason. We want our rankings to be helpful to the average shopper, so that means prioritizing accessibility. In this first attempt at finding the best oolong teas out there, I focused on tea bags over loose leaf (sorry, oolong fanatics), and brands you can find at regular grocery stores or on Amazon. 

What we looked for in the best oolong tea bags

• Real oolong character: The tea should showcase the range of flavors oolong is known for—floral, toasty, fruity, or mineral. We want brews to have dimension and distinct notes that separate them from the pack. 
• Balanced and drinkable: Bold brews are great, but the tea should still be easy to sip and enjoy.
• Loose leaf dupes: Believe it or not, I even found some oolong tea bags that rival loose leaf varieties in terms of boldness and complexity. 

On behalf of middle children everywhere, here are the best oolong tea brands we currently recommend:

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Neutral

Allegro Tea Oolong Tea

I’ve been on the hunt for smooth teas that can stand in for my daily coffee when I need a break from the bean, with my one criteria being: They need to taste great with milk or creamer. And that’s what you get with Allegro’s Oolong. It has a robust yet smooth flavor that’s a little roasty and nutty but not as gruff as some of the more potent recommendations here. For anyone just getting into oolong, I think this is a great start—and you can find it on Amazon. 

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Best Sweet

Republic of Tea Dragon Oolong Tea

Republic of Tea’s Dragon Oolong (specifically the Dragon Oolong, not their Milk Oolong, which I found tasted like stevia leaf) balances sweet and floral notes and goes down super smooth. It’s definitely the sweetest from my taste test, close to a subtle peach flavor. I would turn this into an iced tea in a heartbeat. If you’re looking for a sweeter variety, this is the best oolong tea to pick up. 

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Best Value

iMoZai Oolong Tea

Well good morning to you, too, iMoZai! This oolong tea is zingy. It hits with a bright flavor that’s not especially floral or sweet, just crisp and lively, the perfect complement to a bit of honey. I could sip this all day and not get sick of it. I’ve seen some complaints online that the strength can be inconsistent from bag to bag; I personally didn’t have that problem, but with 100 tea bags for $8, there’s more than enough to make up for it. 

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Best of the Best

Prince of Peace Oolong Tea

Prince of Peace could fool you into thinking it’s loose leaf tea. It has that rougher Jasmine green tea, floral, mineral edge, and I mean that as a compliment, because it still finishes clean and smooth. Personally, I think the best oolong teas have real character while still being easy on the palate, and that’s what Prince of Peace accomplishes here. It’s nuanced, malty, and deep—a great addition to your tea cabinet and a shining example of the versatility of oolong. 

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Other oolong teas we tried

The Republic of Tea Milk Oolong Tea, ITO EN Oolong Tea, Unsweetened, Golden, Tejava Organic Fujian-Style Oolong Tea, Drink Weird Organic White Peach Oolong Weird Tea, Twinings Pure Oolong Tea Golden Caffeinated Tea

The study reported that taking 100mg of Tongkat Ali daily for 12 weeks has significantly reduced symptoms of menopause — especially in areas related to physical and sexual health — based on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire.

Tongkat Ali is usually studied for its aphrodisiac effects in men.

The current study is said to be the first-of-its-kind that assesses its effects in alleviating menopausal symptoms, the study researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Biotropics Malaysia wrote in the World Journal of Clinical Cases.

A total of 138 women aged 40 to 55, mostly from the Malay ethnicity, were randomized to three groups, taking either 50mg or 100mg of Tongkat Ali or the placebo.

The Tongkat Ali used in this case was a standardized water extract of Eurycoma longifolia commercially available as Physta. It was provided by the study sponsor Biotropics Malaysia Berhad.

Questionnaires such as MENQOL and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to assess the participants’ quality of life and mood state throughout the study.

Blood and urine samples were also collected for analysis of blood count, liver and renal function, fasting glucose, urine analysis, and lipid profiling.

Findings showed that the menopause symptoms saw a significant reduction from baseline in the group taking 100mg Tongkat Ali as compared to the placebo.

Total MENQOL mean score in the group taking 100mg Tongkat Ali was down 33.9% from baseline, while that of the placebo was down 23.3%, showing a significant difference between the two groups.

A higher MENQOL score indicates greater menopausal symptoms.

The group taking 50mg Tongkat Ali also saw a reduction in their total MENQOL mean score from baseline by 24.9%. However, the reduction was not statistically significant compared to the placebo group.

The MENQOL questionnaire comprises vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains.

Analysis of the results showed that the group taking 100mg Tongkat Ali experienced significant improvements in both physical and sexual domains as compared to the placebo group.

Physical domains include sleep quality, aches in the back of the neck or head, strength, and stamina. The sexual domain assesses areas such as sexual desire, vaginal dryness, and openness to intimacy.

“The Physta 100 mg group achieved a 33.9% significant reduction in total MENQOL score and statistically significant improvements in the physical (P = 0.046) and sexual (P = 0.043) domains compared with placebo.

“These differences indicate a potential actual treatment effect beyond expectation or placebo influence,” the researchers wrote.

Changes in mood

The two groups that took Tongkat Ali also showed a trend towards less mood disturbance as compared to the placebo.

However, the differences as compared to the placebo group were not statistically significant.

Between the two groups taking Tongkat Ali, the group taking the higher dose of 100mg showed greater reduction in mood disturbance as compared to the lower dose group.

This was based on the POMS scores, where the 100mg group showed a 38.6% reduction in total mood disturbance score, and the 50mg group showed a 23.1% reduction from baseline.

The placebo group, on the other hand, saw a reduction of 30.1% in total mood disturbance scores.

No serious adverse events were reported during the study, except for bloating, headache, breast tenderness, flatulence, and abdominal discomfort experienced initially when taking the study supplements.

No significant changes in hormone levels

The study also reported no significant changes in the female reproductive hormone levels across the three groups throughout the study.

While a statistically significant increase was seen for progesterone at week six in the 100 mg group as compared with placebo, the effect was not sustained at week 12.

No significant changes were observed in the 50 mg group.

“The transient increase in progesterone in the 100 mg group may be biologically plausible, potentially reflecting the adaptogenic and hormone-modulating effects of Eurycoma longifolia,” the researchers wrote.

More studies needed

While significant improvements were seen in the quality of life in women taking 100mg of Tongkat Ali, the researchers cautioned that further studies were needed due to the low statistical power of the current study.

“Although the decrease in total MENQOL scores with 100 mg Physta® reached statistical significance, the power analysis (0.516) indicated low statistical power.

“This reduces confidence in the stability of this finding and highlights the need for replication with larger sample sizes to confirm the observed effect.

“Hence, it underscores the importance of larger sample sizes, longer follow-up durations, and inclusion of objective biomarkers in future trials to further differentiate specific treatment efficacy.”

Source: World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(31): 109113, doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i31.109113, “Effect ofEurycoma longifolia water extract (Physta^®) on menopausal quality of life and mood states.” Authors: Muniandy S et al.