September 29, 2017
Feeling stressed? Your vitamin B5 intake may have an important role to play. Vitamin B5, also know as Pantothenic acid, is critical to the development of stress-related hormones produced in the adrenal glands, small glands that sit on top of the kidneys.
Vitamin B5, like all B vitamins, helps convert food into glucose and break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins for energy generation. Additionally, this essential nutrient is important for maintenance and repair of tissues and cells of the skin and hair, helps in healing of wounds and lesions, and pantethine, which is a form of vitamin B5, normalizes blood lipid profiles. Vitamin B5 also helps in the production of red blood cells.
Sources of Vitamin B5
The primary sources of vitamin B5 in animal products are found in offal (liver, kidneys), meat (chicken, beef), egg yolk, milk, fish. While pantothenic acid can also be derived from produce such as potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms, it can also found in whole grain cereals.
Bioavailability of Vitamin B5
The bioavailability of pantothenic acid from food sources is about 50%. Although vitamin B5 is quite stable if heated, extended cooking times and prolonged high temperatures (such as boiling temperatures) can cause greater loss of the vitamin. Pantothenic acid is also destroyed in the process of freezing, canning, or refining.
Risks Related to Inadequate or Excess Intake of Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 deficiency is very rare and symptoms involve a general failure of all the body’s systems. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and tingling sensations know as “burning feet” syndrome. No adverse effects have been reported with high intakes of vitamin B5.
