| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | ||||||||
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- Why vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is good for you
- Important vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) facts
- Groups at risk of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency
- Symptoms of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) and health
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) in foods
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) recommended daily intake (RDI)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) works best with
- Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Why vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is good for you
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic Acid) is required to make two important coenzymes which help the body use fats and carbohydrates to make energy. This function enables the body to make some important hormones, to make healthy red blood cells and to make vitamin D.
A form of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) called pantethine is available in supplements. Pantethine is available to do useful things, like help lower high cholesterol.
Important vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) facts
- About half the vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) in meat is lost when frozen meat is thawed and cooked - it is preferable to use fresh meat whenever possible
- Pantothenic acid works best with vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin H (biotin) .
- Pantothenic acid is sometimes called the “anti-stress” vitamin. Some nutritionists suggest taking extra vitamin B5 (vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid))to help deal with stress
- Another form of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), called panthoderm is available in skin creams and lotions and is useful for soothing cuts, scrapes and mild burns
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Groups at risk of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency
Because vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is available in every single food, there have never been any reports of human deficiency. The only people who are at any risk of deficiency are long-term alcoholics. Anyone else who is a little low on vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is almost certainly low on the other B vitamins too. |
Symptoms of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency
There are no known symptoms of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) and health
- Lowering cholesterol - the latest research suggests that a form of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), pantethine helps to lower overall cholesterol and triglycerides – if these levels are high to begin with.
- Pentathletes - vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) may help elite athletes, such as olympians, improve their performance just a little
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Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) in food
| FOOD | AMOUNT | Vitamin B5 (mg) |
|---|---|---|
Chicken, liver |
85g | 4.63 |
Beef, liver |
85g | 3.90 |
Mushrooms, cooked |
½ cup | 1.69 |
Yoghurt, low fat |
1 cup | 0.34 |
Lentils |
1 cup | 1.26 |
Potato, baked with skin |
1 medium | 1.12 |
Lima beans |
1 cup | 0.79 |
Milk |
1 cup | 0.77 |
Sweet potatoes |
1 medium | 0.74 |
Chickpeas |
1 cup | 0.72 |
Corn |
½ cup | 0.72 |
Egg |
1 large | 0.70 |
Wheatgerm |
¼ cup | 0.66 |
Oatmeal |
1 cup | 0.47 |
Black beans |
1 cup | 0.42 |
Broccoli, cooked |
½ cup | 0.40 |
Tomato |
1 medium | 0.30 |
Beef, mince |
85g | 0.23 |
Tuna, canned in water |
85g | 0.18 |
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) recommended daily intake (RDI)
| RDA | lifestage | age | amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFANTS | 0-6mths 7-12mths |
1.7mg 1.8mg |
|
| CHILDREN | 1-3yrs 4-8yrs |
2.0mg 3.0mg |
|
| CHILDREN | 9-13yrs 14-18yrs |
4.0mg 5.0mg |
|
| ADULTS | 19-50yrs | 5.0mg | |
| SENIORS | 51+yrs |
5.0mg | |
| PREGNANT | 6.0mg | ||
| LACTATING | 7.0mg | ||
| TOLERABLE UPPER LIMIT | none established | ||
| TOXIC LEVELS | >10g, essentially non-toxic | ||
The tolerable upper limits should only be taken for short periods and only under medical supervision.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) works best with
Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) has limited toxicity in normal, otherwise healthy adults. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supplements are very safe, with no known side effects or overdose level - any excess is usually excreted in the urine.
Even very large doses of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) - up to 20g, the only side-effect experienced is diarrhoea, which stops once the high dose supplement is ceased. There are no other known side effects.
The following cautions should be carefully noted:
- People taking the drug Levodopa for Parkinson’s disease, should NOT take vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supplements. The vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supplements will inactivate the drug.
references
- Bertolini S, Donati C, Elicio N, et al. Lipoprotein changes induced by pantethine in hyperlipoproteinemic patients: adults and children. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1986;24:630–637
- Grenier JF, Aprahamian M, Genot C, Detinger A. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) efficiency on wound healing. Acta Vitaminol Enzymol, 1982;4(1-2):81-5
- Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Pantothenic acid. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 1998:357-373
- Kirschmann GJ, Kirschmann JD. Nutrition Almanac. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill;1996:115-118
- Miller DR, Specker BL, Ho ML, Norman EJ. Vitamin B-12 status in a macrobiotic community. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1991, Vol 53, 524-529
- Office of Dietary Supplements USA - has the official USA RDI for all vitamins (these are also adopted by Australia), accessed 9 August 2005
- Osiecki, Henry, The Nutrient Bible 2002, BioConcepts Publishing
- Walsh JH, Wyse BW, Hansen RG. Pantothenic acid content of 75 processed and cooked foods. J Am Diet Assoc 1981;78(2):140-144
- Yates AA, Schlicker SA, Suitor CW. Dietary reference intakes: The new basis for recommendations for calcium and related nutrients, B vitamins, and choline. J Am Diet Assoc 1998;98:699-706
