The word pantothenic comes from the Greek “pantou,” meaning everywhere. Nearly all foods contain small quantities of pantothenic acid.
Dietary Sources
All B vitamins help the body convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which the body uses to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B complex vitamins, also help the body use fats and protein. B complex vitamins are needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver.
It is sometimes called the “anti-stress” vitamin, but there is no concrete evidence whether it helps the body withstand stress. Vitamin B5 deficiency is rare, but may include symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, stomach pains, burning feet, and upper respiratory infections. Some of these studies show that pantethine helped lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
Larger studies are needed to see whether pantethine has any real benefit. Other studies, mostly in test tubes and animals but a few on people, suggest that vitamin B5 supplements may speed wound healing, especially following surgery. This may be particularly true if vitamin B5 is combined with vitamin C.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Preliminary evidence suggests that pantothenic acid might improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the evidence is weak.
One study found that people with RA may have lower levels of B5 in their blood than healthy people, and the lowest levels were associated with the most severe symptoms. Other studies show that calcium pantothenate improves symptoms of RA, including morning stiffness and pain. More studies are needed to confirm these finding.
Why Do We Need Vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 has many important functions. These include: converting food into glucose
synthesizing cholesterol
forming sex and stress-related hormones
forming red blood cells As with all B vitamins, pantothenic acid helps the body break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins so that our bodies can use them for energy and rebuilding tissues, muscles, and organs. The liver needs Coenzyme A to metabolize some drugs and toxins safely.
Vitamin B2 helps manage stress, but there is no evidence that pantothenic acid reduces stress. Researchers noted a “significant mean reduction in total lesion count” after 12 weeks of taking a B5 dietary supplement. The authors call for more trials to confirm the results.
Cholesterol and triglycerides Some studies suggest that vitamin B5 intake can help lower cholesterol and levels of blood triglycerides, or fats. This course of management should only be pursued under medical supervision. However, more evidence is needed to confirm these results.
Deficiency
A healthy and varied diet should provide a person with enough. Clinical trials have shown, however, that a deficiency may lead to: tiredness
apathy
depression
irritability
sleep disorders
stomach pains
nausea
vomiting
numbness
muscle cramps
hypoglycemia
burning feet
upper respiratory infections A deficiency of B5 can cause an increased sensitivity to insulin. Dairy products: Egg yolk, milk, yogurt, and milk products.
Legumes: Lentils, split peas, and soybeans. Other sources of vitamin B5 include brewer’s yeast, peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, royal jelly, and oatmeal Pantothenic acid is widely available in food, but it is lost in processing, for example, in canning, freezing, and milling. To ensure an adequate intake, foods should be eaten fresh rather than refined.
As with all water-soluble vitamins, vitamin B5 is lost when food is boiled. Scientists have found that bacteria in the lining of the colon might generate pantothenic acid, but this has not yet been proved.