All You Ever Wanted To Know About Pantothenic Acid - Condensed

What Is Pantothenic Acid And It’s Benefits

Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, is a water soluble vitamin that is considered an essential nutrient for humans. Pantothenic acid is necessary in the formation of co-enzyme A (CoA) and is critical in the metabolism and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Since Pantothenic acid participates in such a wide array of key biological roles and processes it is considered essential to all forms of life and as such deficiencies of this nutrient may have a variety of impacts ranging from irritations to severe, life threatening issues. Pantothenic acid is also vital for a healthy pregnancy.

Natural Sources Of Pantothenic Acid

Some of the most pantothenic acid rich foods are as follows:

• Fish/Cod 3 oz = 0.15mg
• Tuna (light canned in water) 3 oz = 0.18mg
• Chicken (cooked) 3 oz = 0.98mg
• Egg (cooked) 1 large = 0.61mg
• Milk (1 cup) = 0.83mg
• Yogurt (8 oz) = 1.35mg
• Broccoli (1/2 cup cooked) = 0.48mg
• Lentils (1/2 cup cooked) = 0.63mg
• Split peas (½ cup cooked) = 0.58mg
• California Avocado (1 whole) = 1.99mg
• Sweet potato (1/2 cup cooked) = 0.88mg
• Mushrooms(1/2 cup raw) = 0.52mg
• Lobster (3 oz cooked) = 0.24mg
• Whole Wheat Bread, 1 slice = 0.19mg

Processing and refining grains may result in a 35 to 75% loss of pantothenic acid; freezing and canning of foods may cause a similar loss of the vitamin.

There is a scarcity of data from large national surveys on the pantothenic acid content in foods, therefore most of the data used for the recommended dietary intake guidelines is from smaller studies.   For more information on the nutrient content of foods you can search the USDA food composition database.

Pantothenate in the form of phosphopantetheine is considered to be the body’s more active form of vitamin B5, however any derivative of this must be broken down to patothenic acid before absorption in the body, 10mg of calcium pantothenate is equivalent to 9.2 mg of panthenic acid. The recommended daily allowance in the United States for pantothenic acid is also follows:

Is Pantothenic Acid Deficiency Possible

Naturally occurring deficiency in pantothenic acid in human is very rare and only really observed in cases of severe malnutrition. World War II prisoners in the Philippines, Burma and Japan noted numbness, burning and tingling in their feet which was alleviated by utilizing pantothenic acid. In case studies regarding Pantothenic acid, researchers have found that individuals with a pantothenic acid deprived diet may suffer from:

• listlessness and fatigue
• headaches
• insomnia
• restlessness
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal cramping
• intestinal disruptions and numbness
• tingling in extremities
• adrenal issues
• hepatic encephalopathy

All correctable with pantothenic acid treatment. Most  of the research regarding the effects of pantothenic acid deficiency, however, has involved animals rather than humans so it is difficult to fully understand what all the ramifications truly are.

Is Supplementation Necessary

As you can see above there is no naturally rich food sources of pantothetic acid, therefore supplementing Pantothenic acid might be advisable for many individuals in order to get the recommended daily allowance. Pantothenol, a derivative of pantothenic acid, is a more stable form of the vitamin and often used as a source for the vitamin in multivitamin supplements.

Another common form of the vitamin is calcium pantothenate which is commonly used in dietary supplements because as a salt it is more stable than pantothenic acid in the digestive tract which in turn allows for better absorption. Possible benefits of supplementation include reduction of morning stiffness, reduction in the degree of disability and the severity of pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis with doses as low as 2g per day of calcium pantothenate. In other studies regarding the benefits of supplementing this vitamin researchers found that it appears to improve oxygen utilization efficiency and reduce lactic acid accumulation in athletes. The derivative Panthenol is a frequent addition to hair care products as it is thought to promote topically for hair strength and re-growth.

Side Effects Of Pantothenic Acid

There is usually no danger in taking large doses of pantothetic acid. Being water-soluble (like all B vitamins), it is extremely difficult to overdose on pantothetic acid as the body will naturally excrete excess amounts of the vitamin. Extremely large doses may cause diarrhea (but then again that’s true with most supplements).

Final Thoughts

Pantothetic acid is clearly a very important vitamin and while it is usually advisable to get most of your daily nutrients from diet, this is one vitamin where supplementation is a definite option as getting your RDI may be difficult under normal conditions.  Since there is very little danger from supplementing pantothetic acid, this becomes an even more attractive option to ensure that your body’s B5 vitamin needs are taken care of.