Vitamin B5 | Absolutely everything You Need to Know
Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in the body. It helps release energy from food and metabolize fats and proteins. Vitamin B5 deficiency can lead to fatigue, irritability, depression and apathy. But you don’t have to be deficient for it to affect your mood: taking too much of this vitamin can actually cause some people to feel anxious or mild diarrhea. The recommended dietary allowance for adults is 5 milligrams daily but most people get plenty of VitaminB5 through their diet without having to take supplements.
What is vitamin B5?
Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin. It is one of the vitamins that people need to live. It helps them make coenzyme A, which is important for their body to do things like metabolizing fats and proteins and carbohydrates.
Pantothenic acid is the combination of pantothenic acid and β-alanine. It is found in nearly every food, but most often it is in the form calcium pantothenate.
More than half of the pantothenic acid in adults is found in their livers, with smaller amounts in kidneys, adrenal glands and blood cells.
Sources of vitamin B5
The main sources of pantothenic acid in the diet include meats, liver, eggs and whole grains. Very good sources are organ meats, legumes and broccoli. Moderate sources include chicken, tuna, turkey, cheese and yogurt. The amounts vary depending on the source:
In a study published in 2009 about vitamin B5 and pantothenic acid, it was discovered that some people needed more than the RDI (Recommended Dietary Allowance).
| Source | Milligrams (mg) per 100g | |
|---|---|---|
 | Beef liver, boiled | 8.3 mg |
 | Shitake mushrooms | 2.6 mg |
 | Sunflower seeds | 2.4 mg |
 | Duck, cooked with skin | 1.5 mg |
 | Salmon filet | 1.4 mg |
 | – Chicken, breast meat, skinless – Lentils | 1.3 mg |
 | Tuna, fresh, bluefin | 1.2 mg |
 | – Avocados, raw – Broccoli – Sun-dried tomatoes | 1.0 mg |
 | Milk, 2% milkfat | 0.9 mg |
 | Mushrooms, white | 0.8 mg |
 | – Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin – Veal – 1 Egg | 0.7 mg |
Dietary recommendations
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin B5 for adults age 31 and over is 5 milligrams per day. The amount that the Institute of Medicine recommends for pregnant women to get every day is 6 milligrams per day.
Pregnancy – Lactation
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| <19 years | 6 mg | 7 mg |
| >19 years | 6 mg | 7 mg |
Infants
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mgRAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 1.7 mg | 1.8 mg |
| 7–12 months | 1.8 mg | 2 mg |
Children
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 2 mg | 3 mg |
| 4–8 years | 3 mg | 4 mg |
Females
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 4 mg | 5 mg |
| 14–18 years | 5 mg | 6 mg |
| >19 years | 5 mg | 6 mg |
Males
| Life stage group | US RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, μg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 4 mg | 5 mg |
| 14–18 years | 5 mg | 6 mg |
| >19 years | 5 mg | 6 mg |
Dietary supplements
Dietary supplements including Vitamin B5 are available in two forms: calcium pantothenate and panthenol. You can buy Vitamin B5 as a pill, chewable tablet or powder.
The recommended way to take vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is in the morning. If you find that this makes you feel jittery, try taking it after dinner so it will have some time to wear off before bedtime.
Benefits of Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 is an essential vitamin. It helps release energy from food and metabolize fats and proteins. Vitamin B5 deficiency can lead to fatigue, irritability, depression and apathy.
The benefits of Vitamin B5 include helping with the metabolism of fats, protein, carbohydrates; providing relief from depression; aiding in digestion; boosting immunity against infection or disease. We will check all its benefits in detail.
Metabolize fats and proteins
The B vitamins are essential to our bodies and help us use the food we eat in order to rebuild tissues, muscles, and organs. Vitamin B5 is a necessary ingredient for breaking down sugars into glucose that’s used as fuel which produces energy. It also helps with synthesizing fat molecules or protein molecules so they can be metabolized by your body too! If you’re experiencing digestive problems, it could very well mean there’s not enough vitamin B5 in your diet – vital information if you want to stay healthy!
Vitamin B5 also converts several amino acids, which are a protein, into substances called ketone bodies. These are like fuels for certain parts of your brain.
Improves Cardiovascular SystemImproves skin health dicreases the Acne symptoms
Vitamin B5 is a great way to reduce the appearance of premature aging, acne outbreaks and hair loss. In one study out of France that compared people who took vitamin B5 supplements against those who didn’t take them, there was an enormous reduction in occurrences of both wrinkles on skin as well as dark spots or discolorations caused by blemishes such as breakouts. The study also found strong evidence for potential benefits with regards to pigmentation levels during the course trial periods which could translate into better growth rates for hair follicles too.
A recent study of adults with acne found that taking pantothenic acid-based dietary supplements is effective, safe and well tolerated. The volunteers experienced a significant reduction in total facial lesion count after the three month trial concluded.
This may be due partially to the role vitamin B5 plays in immunity which can help clear area-specific or inflammatory skin acne blemishes while not causing any known side effects such as stomach pain or nausea like some medications for this condition do.
Benefits Cardiovascular Health
To make cholesterol, you need to have vitamin B5. There is a derivative of it called pantethine which has been studied for its ability to help prevent heart problems. Pantethine helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the arteries and protects against plaque build-ups that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Vitamin B5 is a key player in many important processes that our bodies need to function optimally. It helps the body with strengthening and creating red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout our body by maintaining healthy levels of hemoglobin. Vitamin B2 also plays an important role here because it’s required for producing steroid hormones as well as facilitating iron transportation to maintain energy production through cell respiration- all necessary elements if we hope to live happily and healthily.
Helps your body manage stress
The B5 vitamin benefits can be broken down into three main categories: combating stress, regulating hormones, and calming the nervous system. In a way these are all closely related as they regulate one another in order to keep the body functioning properly.
Without adequate levels of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) within a person’s diet or from taking supplements for example, it would not take long before tensions began running high due to chronic stress symptoms like fatigue appearing that led them towards adrenal function problems such as obesity-related disorders which could lead back again to more emotional stresses.
Vitamin B5 helps the adrenal glands regulate their function and create cortisol. Studies show that pantothenic acid can stimulate the ability of these cells to make cortisol. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and is heavily involved in our body’s stress response, helping us be alert and fight off danger. Although it gets a bad reputation for causing anxiety, weight gain, and fatigue, it does have important jobs in our body.
Helps your body to make cholesterol
Hemoglobin is a type of red blood cell that carries oxygen to all parts of the body. It also helps these cells carry back waste products such as carbon dioxide back to the lungs for exhalation. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is required in order to make hemoglobin. If your pantothenic acid
Vitamin B5 is an essential nutrient that helps to reduce both bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It also has a positive impact on raising good HDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which reduces the risk of heart disease.
Fastens wound healing
Vitamin B5 can help with skin reactions from radiation therapy and may speed up the healing of cuts. It is also known to delay aging. Studies show that pantothenic acid helps with the process of healing wounds better than not taking it.
Helps to keep your nerves healthy
Without enough vitamin B5, the nervous system can’t function at a high level. Acetylcholine is vital for nerve communication and without it your body cannot send signals back to itself or other parts of our immune system like in the heart, lungs, kidneys etc…
Vitamin B5 helps create an important molecule called acetylcholine so that when you have adequate levels of this vitamins then your nerves will work properly allowing them to communicate with each other and help regulate bodily functions like organs’ immunity systems among others; but if not taken regularly on time than there’s risk involved because these same benefits also come
Softens pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Vitamin B5 has been shown to help with the painful symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. A study found that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis had lower levels of vitamin B5 in their blood than healthy people. Lower levels of vitamin B5 are associated with more severe symptoms, including pain and stiffness. Vitamin B5 can help these symptoms when taken in high doses.
Helps the immune system
Vitamin B5 may be the key to our immune system and overall health. It helps produce antibodies that defend us against potential threats, including environmental or allergic reactions as well as fighting off parasites, bacteria viruses, the common cold or flu and toxins. Studies have shown it has been proven effective at reducing illness from malaria.
We need enough antibodies in order to stay healthy. If we are stressed, the body loses some of its ability to fight invaders and toxins. B vitamins help keep our immunity high so we can be less likely to get sick.
Improves Mental abilities
Studies have shown that vitamin b5 has a positive effect on mental clarity and stable moods. One study showed an increase in signs of depression and mania in individuals who were deficient in pantothenic acid. If someone is deficient in this vitamin, there’s a possibility of experiencing increased mental instability, a low mood, irritability, fatigue or difficulty concentrating.
Deficiency of vitamin B5
Some common symptoms of a deficiency of vitamin b5 are mental instability, a low mood, irritability and difficulty concentrating. There’s a possibility of experiencing increased mental instability, a low mood, irritability or difficulty concentrating if someone is deficient in this vitamin. Vitamin b5 is vital for the body and if there’s not enough in our diet than we will face some medical problems like skin conditions, poor sleep, infertility issues etc…
A deficiency of vitamin b5 can cause a variety of symptoms including fatigue, depression, irritability, insomnia, stomach aches, vomiting, burning feet and muscle cramps.
However, it’s important to note that deficiency is uncommon in developed countries where a diet of varied foods is generally consumed.
Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin B5
Extremely rare cases of pantothenic acid overdose occur. If too much vitamin b5 is taken, symptoms include vomiting, nausea or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually related to taking the vitamin in high amounts given by injection or infusion, and are not usually caused by pantothenic acid supplements.
If you are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, speak with your doctor before supplementing Vitamin B5. It is recommended that you only take the normal amount of this vitamin which will keep you from running into problems like a deficiency or a toxicity. And to remember that vitamin b5 should be taken in the morning if you’re planning on staying up all night long.
It is important to note that dexpanthenol, a derivative of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) often used for patients with hemophilia and gastrointestinal blockage, may extend the time it takes bleeding. In some studies vitamin B5 has also been shown to increase the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors which are taken by people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Be sure you take this medication under your physician’s supervision as taking these medications together could lead to severe side effects.
Vitamin B5 can counteract the effectiveness of antibiotics, and should be taken in a different time slot than that as prescribed by an antibiotic prescription.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin B5 is vital for the body and if there’s not enough in our diet than we will face some medical problems like skin conditions, poor sleep, infertility issues etc…A deficiency of vitamin b5 can cause a variety of symptoms including fatigue, depression, irritability, insomnia, stomach aches, vomiting. However it’s important to note that deficiency is uncommon in developed countries where a diet of varied foods is generally consumed.
Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin B5: Extremely rare cases of pantothenic acid overdose occur. If too much vitamin b5 is taken vitamins symptoms include vomiting nausea or diarrhea these are usually related to taking the vitamin by injection or infusion and are not usually caused by pantothenic acid. Be sure to take your medication under physician supervision when combining prescription medications because they could lead to severe side effects.
By NutriWins team
