
Vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic acid, is vital for the continuance of life. But, don't worry! The good microorganisms that live in your intestine synthesize this regularly, so very little is actually needed in the diet. Pantothenic acid is component of the all-important molecule known as coenzyme A, which is required for quite a few metabolic processes including the Krebs cycle (carbohydrate metabolism), fatty acid synthesis and the formation of ketones (in a low sugar or low carb situation).
Here're some other uses of the vitamin...
-Essential for protein metabolism
-Promotes functional nerves
-Because it's used for fatty acid synthesis, it's vital to the cell membrane structure and function of your body's cells.
-Can be used to treat acne
There is no real established daily recommendation for pantothenic acid, mainly because your body produces it regularly (via the microorganisms in your intestine). Although not much is needed, there're plenty of sources for the vitamin...
| Food Sources of Pantothenic Acid (Vit B5) | |
| Meat | Beef |
| Chicken | Legumes/Most Vegetables |
| Whole Grains | Yeast |
| Eggs | Liver |
A huge dose of Pantothenic Acid may cause water retention and/or diarrhea and also result in an increase in need for Thiamine (Vitamin B1).
This doesn't really occur except in the occasional experiment using diets completely absent in the vitamin. The fact of the matter is that the vitamin is easily found in many different foods along with being synthesized in the body by microorganisms. Have no fear in being deficient in this one.
Return from Vitamin B5 to the Nutrition Guide
Return from Vitamin B5 to the Smart Strength Training Homepage
Questions? Comments? Stories? Let's hear what you have to say!
TIP for Web Publishers
Set up a link to this site from your site.
Do you own your own website?
Would you like to have a link on your site so that you or your visitors could easily get to this site?
If so, here is the text link code (just copy and paste the code onto whichever page on your site that you
wish to set up the link).
Contribute your own article!
![]()
Protein to Build Muscle, Part 1
Protein to Build Muscle, Part 2
What exactly is protein, anyway?
Other Muscle Building Supplements
Water Soluble Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) / Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3) / Pantothenate (B5)
Pyridoxine (B6) / Cobalamin (B12)
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Essential Minerals
More Coming Soon!
Contribute your own article!