The B5 vitamin is also known as Pantothenic Acid. The vit B5 is the most prolific of all the vitamins and is found in every type of food. In fact, it is impossible for a person to consume less vitamin B5 than they need. That means that there is no little possibility that a person can have a vit B5 deficiency. For this reason, there is actually no recommended daily amount that health professionals can state as everyone obtains more than enough from their normal food consumption. However, even though there is no need to calculate a recommended daily allowance it does not mean that the B5 vitamin is not vital for a healthy body and mind. In fact, the B5 vitamin is essential for turning food into energy amongst other functions. The vit B5 is responsible for taking the fats and carbohydrates into energy.
Some Pantothenic Acid can be found in almost every food whether it is animal or vegetable. Obviously there are some sources of the vitamin B5 that are better than others but a balanced diet will provide more than enough. The foods with the highest Pantothenic Acid content are organ meats, salmon, eggs, beans, milk, and whole grains. It is worth noting that the B5 vitamin is lost when grains are milled into flour and tends not to beaded back in. Therefore, processed grain foods such as bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, and baked goods are not good sources of the Pantothenic Acid.
The B5 vitamin is the most effective when it is combined with other B vitamins especially thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2, niacin or B3, pyridoxine or B6, and biotin. Along with these other B vitamins, the vit B5 is an integral part in a number of processes. The most important of these is the production of energy from food that is consumed and this is known as the Kreb’s cycle. The Pantothenic Acid is also required for releasing energy from fats.
Interestingly, the B5 vitamin is also considered to be helpful in reducing stress. This is chiefly due to the fact that during periods of stress, the body produces more of certain hormones such as adrenalin and these require the Pantothenic Acid. There are many theories as to the benefits of the vitamin B5 but there is no need for the majority of people to actively seek out foods that are high in Pantothenic Acid as they are likely to be consuming far more than is needed already. There are no adverse effects to consuming too much vit B5.
