1. What is Vitamin B5?

 most commonly called pantothenic acid

 member of the B-complex family of vitamins first researched in the 1930-1940s as a required growth factor for many kinds of organisms, including yeasts, birds, and rodents.

 name of the vitamin comes from the Greek word pantos, meaning "everywhere." Vitamin B5 is almost universal present in nature - including in virtually all types of food.

 In its metabolically active form, vitamin B5 gets combined with another small, sulfur-containing molecule to form coenzyme A (or simply, CoA). This conversion allows vitamin B5 to participate in a wide variety of chemical reactions.

2. What is the function of Vitamin B5?

Regulation of skin oil

B5 helps regulate oil by helping with the metabolism of fats in the body, and in the skin. o¬nce the fats are metabolized, they no longer need to be excreted through the sebaceous glands.

Release of Energy from Carbohydrates and Fats

When found in its CoA form, vitamin B5 plays a pivotal role in helping release energy from sugars, starches, and fats. Increased levels of vitamin B5 in the blood of marathon runners, for example, has led to interest in this vitamin as a potential aid in physical training, where sustained energy release from the mitochondria is critical. For this reason, vitamin B5 has been reported to aid weight loss.

Production of fats

While the CoA form of vitamin B5 is important for releasing energy stored as fat, it is equally important for the creation of fat. Two basic types of fats - fatty acids and cholesterol (both essential to a healthy body) - both require the CoA form of B5 for their synthesis.

Changing the shape and function of proteins

Sometimes it is important for the body to make small chemical changes in the shape of cell proteins. One way for cells to accomplish this task is by attaching a special chemical group, called an acetyl group, to the proteins. Vitamin B5, in the form of CoA, can be used to help acetylate proteins, thereby protecting them from chemical breakdown. This process is especially well-researched in relationship to the body's adrenal glands, where stress-related hormone production requires participation of vitamin B5.

3. What are deficiency symptoms for Vitamin B5?

 Fatigue

 Listlessness

 sensations of weakness

 "burning foot syndrome" - numbness and tingling, together with burning and shooting pain in the feet

4. What are toxicity symptoms for Vitamin B5?

 At very high supplemental doses of 2 or more grams per day, intake of vitamin B5 can cause mild diarrhea.

 Lower doses of this vitamin (in the 500 milligram range) have also been used to treat constipation due to this association with diarrhea.

 Other than temporary diarrhea at high does of vitamin B5, no other toxicity symptoms have been reported in literature. Thus, no Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) was established by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences in its 1998 public health recommendations for vitamin B5.

5. How do cooking, storage, or processing affect Vitamin B5?

 Pantothenic acid is relatively unstable in food, and significant amounts of this vitamin can be lost through cooking, freezing, and commercial processing.

 Research on frozen foods has shown a loss of 21-70% for vitamin B5 in animal products (like meats), and similar losses for processed grains (like cereal grains) and canned vegetables.

 Fruits and fruit juices lose 7-50% of their vitamin B5 during processing and packaging.

6. What factors might contribute to a deficiency of Vitamin B5?

 poor dietary intake

 digestive problems - proper digestion is required to release vitamin B5 from the CoA form and allow it to be absorbed into the body from the small intestine.

7. What medications affect Vitamin B5?

No detrimental drug reactions have been reported for vitamin B5.

8. How do other nutrients interact with Vitamin B5?

In animal studies, vitamins B12, folate, and biotin are required for proper use of vitamin B5 in the body's biochemical pathways. In addition, vitamin C appears to help prevent B5 deficiency.

9. What health conditions require special emphasis on Vitamin B5?

Vitamin B5 may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions: