Some Information to Know About Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Vitamin B5 (also known as pantothenic acid) is part of the B-complex group of vitamins. The discovery of this vitamin is credited to R.J. Williams who made the initial discovery in 1919 and isolated it from yeast in 1933. The main function of pantothenic acid is to help your body's cells break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy but it does much more than just this. In the following article I will be helping you learn a bit more about this vitamin by discussing four things you may not know about B5.

1) IT IS A WATER SOLUBLE VITAMIN:- Vitamin B5 is water soluble which means that it dissolves in water. Water soluble vitamins are not as stable as fat soluble vitamins and are sensitive to light, heat and water. Also, water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in your body for long periods and any excess is generally excreted in your urine. Therefore, you need to take extra care when storing, preparing and cooking foods that contain pantothenic acid to ensure that it is preserved. You also need to make sure that you get the RDA of this vitamin (5mg for both men and women) each day to ensure your body is getting enough.

2) IT WORKS WITH THE OTHER B-COMPLEX VITAMINS:- As I mentioned above the main function of this vitamin is to help your body break down food into a usable form of energy. However, vitami
B5 does not work alone when it does this - it works with the other seven B-complex vitamins. Without the other B-complex vitamins it cannot break down food for energy effectively. Therefore, whilst it is important to get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of B5 each day it is just as important to get the RDA of the other B-vitamins too.

3) IT CAN BE FOUND IN ALL FOODS:- Vitamin B5 can actually be found in all foods. However, some foods contain much higher levels than others. Some of the richest food sources of this vitamin are eggs, salmon, wholemeal products and fresh vegetables. Therefore, whilst you are always going to be getting some pantothenic acid in your diet to get optimal levels make sure you are consuming some of the foods listed above.

4) IT HELPS YOUR BODY PRODUCE RED BLOOD CELLS:- Pantothenic acid plays a key role in the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells help transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells in your body. Your body's cells need oxygen to function properly so this is another reason to make sure you are getting the RDA of vitami
B5.

As you can see there is a lot more to vitami
B5 than you probably realised. I hope this article has given you a better insight into the importance of this vitamin and its role in your body.