Vitamin B5 is at work in our bodies everyday.
I’ve rounded up the most important facts about the big B5 (A.K.A. pantothenic acid) here. I’ll be going over the basic questions
- What vitamin B5 is and what are its health benefits?
- What does a deficiency look like?
- And lastly, What foods are great for getting this vitamin?
VITAMIN B5: background check
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid is a water soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water rather than fat. The main purpose of this vitamin is to convert the food you eat into energy. But enough about B5, now I’ll talk about what it does for you!
HEALTH BENEFITS
Vitaman B5 is a bit like a superintendent for the body, since it goes around keeping the body in tip top shape by:
- Helping to regulate hormone production
- Helps the nervous system function properly
- Lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
- Regulates cholesterol levels
- Removes fat from arteries
- Helps you keep stamina for longer
- Helps the body protect itself against the effects of radiation
- Keeps the skin healthy
- Reduces fatigue
- Is good for hair growth and moisturized scalp
- Helps with wound healing.
Vitamin B5 is also partly responsible for white blood cell formation, and is vital for making red blood cells. Vitamin B5 is also responsible for helping to produce hemoglobin, a substance that goes around the body dumping oxygen off where it’s needed. Think of them as little subway trains that transport oxygen from your lungs, to their destination, which is anywhere the body needs oxygen. As for your skin, dexpanthenol, a chemical made from vitaman B5 is used on skin to mosturise it. Dexpathonol also helps relieve eczema and itchiness from the skin.
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What does a deficiency look like exactly?
Now that you know what vitamin B5 is, you may be thinking, well all that sounds good, but what does a vitamin B5 deficiency look like? Well first off, a deficiency is when you don’t get enough of something, in this case when you don’t get enough vitamin B5 in your body.
symptoms of a vitamin B5 deficiency are:
- Fatigue
- Impared muscle coordination
- Headaches
- Gastrointestinal problems
- irritability
Vitamin B5 deficiency is very rare since it is so easy to find in food. Overdoses are very rare as well. Vitamin B5 deficiencies are mostly found in malnourished people because almost all foods have vitamin B5 in them.
FOODS WITH VITAMIN B5
With that being said, that brings us to the good news! You heard that right!
it’s actually super easy to get vitamin B5. As I have said before, the main function of this vitamin is converting the food you eat into energy. So almost ALL foods are going to have this vitamin in it, though for some it’s added in.
Vitamin B5 can be found in meats, fruits, veggies, cereals, mushrooms, beans (legumes), liver, seeds, and nuts.
Foods high in vitamin B5 are avocados, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes, as well as some other foods, like corn of broccoli.
And now you know all about vitamin B5! Grab your graduation hat and diploma because you just graduated from the school of vitamin B5 for dummies! I write about other vitamins also so you can learn about other types of nutrients right here on my blog!