VITAMINS: Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Overview of Vitamins | Vitamin A (and Beta Carotene) | Biotin (Vitamin H) | Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) | Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) | Vitamin B-3 (Niacin or Nicotinic Acid) | Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) | Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) | Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin) | Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | Vitamin D | Vitamin E | Folate (Folic Acid) | Inositol | Choline

Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Functions of Pantothenic acid

• Participates in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein, aids in the utilization of vitamins.
• Improves the body's resistance to stress.
• Helps in cell building & the development of the central nervous system.
• Helps the adrenal glands, fights infections by building antibodies.

Deficiency of Pantothenic acid

Painful & burning feet, skin abnormalities, retarded growth, dizzy spells, digestive disturbances, vomiting, restlessness, stomach stress, muscle cramps.

Recommended dietary allowance for Pantothenic acid

See Recommended dietary allowances for vitamins.

Food sources of Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid is found in many foodstuffs. Good sources of the vitamin (0.25 to 1.4 mg/ serving) include organ meats, eggs, fish and shellfish, lobsters, poultry, soybeans, lentils, split peas, milk, yogurt, eggnog, avocado, mushrooms and sweet potatoes. Pantothenic acid loss during processing is significant, as it is stable in neutral solution but is readily destroyed by heat in either alkali or acid.

Toxicity Pantothenic acid

The only reported symptom after intakes of 10 to 20 g calcium pantothenic acid was diarrhea.

References

• Song, W. O. (1990) Pantothenic acid - How much do we know about this B-vitamin? Nutr. Today 25: 19-26.
• Tahiliani, A. G. & Beinlich, C. J. (1991) Pantothenic acid in health and disease. Vit. Horm. 46: 165-228.
• Annous, K. F. & Song, W. O. (1995) Pantothenic acid uptake and metabolism by the red blood cell. J. Nutr. 125: 2586-2593.
• Plesofsky-Vig, N. (1999) Pantothenic Acid. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease (Shils, M. E., Olson, J. A., Shike, M. & Ross, C. A., eds.), 9th ed., pp. 423-432. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.



Overview of Vitamins | Vitamin A (and Beta Carotene) | Biotin (Vitamin H) | Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) | Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) | Vitamin B-3 (Niacin or Nicotinic Acid) | Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) | Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) | Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin) | Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | Vitamin D | Vitamin E | Folate (Folic Acid) | Inositol | Choline