Vitamin B5Posted 10 years ago under Uncategorized

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is in nearly every food, therefore a B5 deficiency is extremely rare. B5 , like the other B vitamins, works helps to change carbohydrates into glucose and to metabolize proteins and fats. B5 helps to lower triglycerides and is crucial to making red blood cells. It aids the adrenals in producing stress hormones. It also helps us to manufacture sexual hormones and helps lower cholesterol.

Foods rich in vitamin B5

Natural food sources high in vitamin B5 include the following: avocado, crimini and shitake mushrooms, sweet potato, green peas, chicken, yogurt, salmon, and turkey. This vitamin is found in some amount in many foods.

Vitamin B5 deficiency

A vitamin B5 deficiency results in fatigue, irritability, burning feet, insomnia, upper respiratory infections, vomiting, and depression.

Interactions with medications

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, B5, Like all the other B vitamins interferes with the tetracycline’s effectiveness and absorption and should never be taken at the same time. In addition, it may increase the effects of cholinesterase inhibiters (drugs to treat Alzheimer’s) including: Donepezil (Aricept), Memantine hydrochloride (Ebixa), Galantamine (Reminyl), and Rivastigime (Exelon).

Supplementation

Few studies have been done related to vitamin B5 and its use in treating health issues. It is not associated with life threatening illnesses like serious deficiencies in many of the other B vitamins, probably because severe deficiencies are rare since some level of this vitamin is in so many foods. However, vitamin B5 is used as a natural remedy for a number of disorders including: acne, alcoholism, allergies, anxiety, asthma, ADHD, autism, athletic performance, baldness, carpal tunnel syndrome, celiac disease, chronic fatigue, conjunctivitis, colitis, convulsions, cystitis, dandruff, depression, diabetic nerve pain, gray hair, headache, heart failure, hypothyroidism, immune system dysfunction, insomnia, irritability, low blood sugar, leg cramps, low blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, neuralgia, obesity, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, PMS, respiratory disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles, skin disorders, tongue infections, ulcerative colitis, yeast infections, wound healing.

It is commonly used to support the adrenal glands when stress is an issue.

As always, if supplementing B5, it is best to take B5 along with the other B vitamins in a B complex. Any long term use of a singular B vitamin will cause an imbalance in the others.
For more information on B vitamins and supplementation visit:

B Vitamins, Nature’s Valium and So Much More at Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Sources:

University of Maryland Medical Center

World’s Healthiest Foods

Medline Plus