Your body needs pantothenic acid to synthesize cholesterol. A derivative of pantothenic acid called pantethine is being studied to see if it may help lower cholesterol levels in the body.
Vitamin B5 deficiency is rare, but may include symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, stomach pains, burning feet, and upper respiratory infections.
High Cholesterol/High Triglycerides
Several small, double-blind studies suggest that pantethine may help reduce triglycerides, or fats, in the blood in people who have high cholesterol. Some of these studies show that pantethine helped lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. In some open studies, pantethine seems to lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in people with diabetes. But not all studies agree. Larger studies are needed to see whether pantethine has any real benefit.
Skin Care and Wound Healing
Preliminary research suggests that vitamin B5 has moisturizing effects on the skin, however, researchers aren’t clear why it works. Other studies, mostly in test tubes and animals but a few on people, suggest that vitamin B5 supplements may speed wound healing, especially following surgery. This may be particularly true if vitamin B5 is combined with vitamin C.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Preliminary evidence suggests that pantothenic acid might improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the evidence is weak. One study found that people with RA may have lower levels of B5 in their blood than healthy people, and the lowest levels were associated with the most severe symptoms. Other studies show that calcium pantothenate improves symptoms of RA, including morning stiffness and pain. More studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Vegan Dietary Sources
Pantothenic acid gets its name from the Greek root pantos, meaning “everywhere,” because it is available in a wide variety of foods. However, the vitamin B5 in foods is lost during processing. Fresh vegetables, and whole unprocessed grains have more vitamin B5 than refined, canned, and frozen food. The best sources are brewer’s yeast, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, legumes, lentils, egg yolks, split peas, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, whole-grain breads and cereals, and wheat germ.
| DBM COMMENTWe prefer to NOT use supplements. Randomly adding nutrients to your daily diet from supplements can have negative outcomes. Choose instead, Vitamin B5 from NATURAL SOURCES |
Available Forms
Vitamin B5 can be found in multivitamins and B complex vitamins, or sold separately under the names pantothenic acid and calcium pantothenate. It is available in a variety of forms including tablets, softgels, and capsules.
Look at the charts alongside and be sure to include these foods in your daily diet: Natural Sources of Vitamin B5 and High Vitamin B5 Foods & Other Vitamin B5-Rich Foods.
