Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What is Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid?

Pantothenic acid, also known as Vitamin B5, is a member of the B vitamin is family found in all living cells or at least to some extent, in all foods. Its name comes from the Greek word called pantos which means "everywhere”. It's name reflects almost universal presence in nature, that is, virtually all types of food. Vitamin B5 participates in a wide variety of chemical reactions because it is active in its metabolic form and gets combined with another small, sulfur-containing molecule to form co-enzyme A (or simply, CoA).

Vitamin B5 is a water-soluble vitamin from the B group of vitamins and is easily dissolves in water. It runs through the bloodstream and is excreted in urine. So daily consumption of this vitamin is required because we do not store it in our body.

Vitamin B5 plays a critical role in manufacturing the red blood cells, as well as sex and stress-related hormones produced in the adrenal glands. It even plays an important role in maintaining healthy digestive tract, and it helps the body use other vitamins, particularly vitamin B2. Some times this vitamin is also called as “anti-stress" vitamin but there is no evidence. It helps in reducing the cholesterol levels present in your body.

This vitamin is found in most foods. Meat is the major food source of Pantothenic acid. The other sources are whole grains without any milling procedures, vegetables such as broccoli and avocados, rice, wheat bran’s, peanut meal, molasses, yeasts, condensed fish solutions, cold water fish ovaries and royal jelly.

The people who are deficient in vitamin B5 can cause symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, stomach pains, burning feet, and upper respiratory infections.

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