Vitamin B5 Benefits : Healing Powers and Food Sources

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, derives from the word pantos, which means everywhere. In nutrition terms, this means that pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is there for the taking in nearly every type of food.

What makes vitamin B5 an active ingredient in the body is its combination with a molecule which contains sulfur. The combination results in the formation of coenzyme A (CoA) and this is what allows the vitamin to undertake the important chemical processes in the body.

Among vitamin B5’s important processes is the release of energy from sugars, starches, and fats. This energy is released through every cell through what is known as mitochondria. Studies in the levels of vitamin B5 in the blood of marathon runners have proven the energy-releasing capacity of the vitamin B5.

Vitamin B5 Benefits

The benefits of vitamin B5, apart from turning carbohydrates and fats into usable energy, is it helps you cope with stress by offering support to your adrenal glands and ensures that your body produces sufficient healthy fats in your cells.

According to Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century, vitamin B5 aids in wound healing, fights infection by building antibodies, is effective in the treatment of postoperative shock, and also prevents fatigue.

It also cuts down the adverse and toxic effects resulting from excessive consumption of antibiotics, apart from lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.

Health Conditions Addressed

Vitamin B is known to be effective in addressing health conditions such as adrenal insufficiency, burning foot syndrome, cataracts, chronic fatigue syndrome, general fatigue, hyperlipedemia (large amount of fatty substance in blood,) and osteoarthritis.

Roger J. Williams, who discovered pantothenic acid, was of the opinion that it would be helpful in the management of some medical disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

Research has also shown that vitamin B5 is effective in treating bruxism, an affliction that makes people grind their teeth at night. Vitamin B5 is also useful in the treatment of nerve disorders like neuritis, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin B5 : Foods

Among the natural foods that have high vitamin B5 content are whole grains, germ, wheat, bran, meat, kidney, liver heart, unrefined molasses, brewers yeast, nuts, and green vegetables.

Here’s the vitamin B5 content of some natural foods according to serving size:

a cup of boiled cauliflower, 6.3 mg

a cup of steamed broccoli - 0.63 mg

a quarter cup of raw sunflower seeds –0.39 mg

a cup of ripe tomato – 0.44mg

half a grapefruit – 0.35 mg

a cup of low-fat yoghurt – 1.45 mg

a boiled egg – 0.62 mg

a cup of cooked yellow corn – 1.44 mg

Care must be taken, however, when preparing these foods. Excessive heat or improper food processing techniques would result in the loss of vitamin B5.

References

https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87 – Vitamin B5 benefits

Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century, Mass Market Paperback – healing powers of Vitamin B5

https://www.healthvitaminsguide.com/vitamins/vitamin-b5.htm - food sources of Vitamin B5