Vitamin B5 is a water-soluble vitamin from the B group of vitamins. It helps produce energy by breaking down fats and carbohydrates. It also promotes healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver.
People need B5 to synthesize and metabolize fats, proteins, and coenzyme A. B5 is one of the less known vitamins, possibly because deficiencies of it are rare. The word pantothenic comes from the Greek “pantou,” meaning everywhere.
Dietary Sources
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Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, is one of 8 B vitamins. 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. They also help the nervous system function properly. All B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body does not store them.
In addition to playing a role in the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates for energy, vitamin B5 is critical to the manufacture of red blood cells, as well as sex and stress-related hormones produced in the adrenal glands, small glands that sit atop the kidneys. Vitamin B5 is also important in maintaining a healthy digestive tract, and it helps the body use other vitamins, particularly B2 (also called riboflavin). It is sometimes called the “anti-stress” vitamin, but there is no concrete evidence whether it helps the body withstand stress.
A derivative of pantothenic acid called pantethine is being studied to see if it may help lower cholesterol levels in the body. Vitamin B5 deficiency is rare, but may include symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, stomach pains, burning feet, and upper respiratory infections. High Cholesterol/High Triglycerides
Several small, double-blind studies suggest that pantethine may help reduce triglycerides, or fats, in the blood in people who have high cholesterol.
Larger studies are needed to see whether pantethine has any real benefit. 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.
Why Do We Need Vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 has many important functions. Coenzyme A Vitamin B5 has a role in synthesizing coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids and is important for converting foods into fatty acids and cholesterol. 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.
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.
In mice, a vitamin B5 deficiency led to skin irritation and graying of the fur, but this was reversed when pantothenic acid was given. Our bodies do not store it, and we need to consume it every day to replenish supplies. Vegetables: Mushrooms, avocado, broccoli, sweet potatoes, corn, cauliflower, kale, and tomatoes.
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.