Vitamin B5 – the secret to youth and health

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, is found in every cell of our body. It is very common in both animal and plant cells. Why is this the case? Because it is essential for cells to carry out their basic life processes.

Since it is such an important compound for our body, it is worth finding out what it is, where we can find it, and how it affects us. In this article, we will explore these issues.

What is pantothenic acid?

Vitamin B5 is an organic mixture of various chemical compounds. These are:

• pantothenic acid;
• a derivative of this acid called pantein;
• panthenol;
• coenzyme A.

This mixture is soluble in water. In our body, it is synthesised by the intestinal flora. It is a substance that is very sensitive to external factors, more so than any other B vitamin. Unfortunately, it is destroyed by both sunlight and temperature.

Vitamin B5, effects on our body

Pantothenic acid has a very broad effect on our body. First of all, it supports the immune system.

Effect on the immune system

Studies were conducted on animals infected with tuberculosis. Based on these studies, scientists have proven that pantothenic acid reduces bacterial growth by regulating innate and adaptive immunity. For the purposes of this article, it is sufficient to explain that both types of immunity rely on the immune system's ability to distinguish between self and non-self molecules in the body. The same study showed that in mice with damaged lungs, after receiving appropriate doses of vitamin B5, the swelling of this organ was significantly reduced. This proves, for example, the strong anti-inflammatory effect of this vitamin.

Impact on the body's ageing processes

Another feature of this vitamin is that it delays the ageing process. This is of great importance to all those who want to enjoy wrinkle-free skin, no grey hair and no freckles for as long as possible. This vitamin helps to regenerate tissues, delays greying and strengthens hair, making it stronger, darker and smoother. In short, it makes us look younger!

Effect on the nervous system

Pantothenic acid is known as the anti-stress vitamin. It contributes to the proper functioning of the nervous system and the production of hormones by the adrenal glands. In this way, it affects our emotions and stress levels. It influences the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine, the happiness hormones.

Effect on hair

The correct level of vitamin B5 improves hair pigmentation and appearance and reduces or delays greying. It has been proven that the vitamin smoothes and strengthens the hair structure. That is why it is widely used in good hair care products designed to improve hair condition. In other words, a combination of a proper diet and appropriate cosmetics can significantly improve the condition of our hair.

Effect on acne

Vitamin B5 improves the condition of our skin. As already mentioned, this vitamin rejuvenates the entire body, including our skin. It soothes inflammation and deeply moisturises the skin. It participates in the synthesis of fats, which is of considerable importance in the fight against excessive sebum secretion. That is why it is recommended for the treatment of acne.

The wide-ranging impact of vitamin B5 on other vital functions of our body

In addition, this vitamin is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, steroid hormones, vitamin A, vitamin D, haemoglobin, cholesterol, serotonin and dopamine. This shows how important this compound is in our body and how its deficiency can have many unpleasant consequences for us.

For athletes

It is worth adding for physically active people and athletes that vitamin B5 minimises the feeling of fatigue after training and allows for faster recovery.

What are the natural sources of pantothenic acid?

Since vitamin B5 has such a beneficial effect on our health and mental and physical condition, in which foods can we find it? Here they are:

• seafood
• yeast, yeast flakes enriched with vitamin B5
• egg yolks
• poultry meat
• liver
• whole grain products and cereals enriched with vitamin B5
• peanuts
• soybeans and other legumes
• mushrooms
• avocados
• broccoli

It should be noted here that breeding and cultivation factors play a significant role. In other words, it is important how farm animals were fed, how and where the plants listed here were grown. Therefore, it is difficult to talk about exact numbers here, because not all eggs are the same. It is important that our diet is varied, rich in various nutrients and, as we will soon prove, as unprocessed as possible!

Unfortunately, pantothenic acid is a very unstable compound. It is the most delicate vitamin in the entire B vitamin family. It breaks down when heated or frozen. Both acidic and alkaline environments have a negative effect on it. Keep this in mind when adding vinegar or bicarbonate of soda to a product. This vitamin is washed out during cooking and food processing, e.g. grinding.

What are the symptoms of vitamin B5 deficiency?

Fortunately, the instability of pantothenic acid is compensated for in a way by the fact that it is quite common in food products. Therefore, it is not often that we have a deficiency of it. There are, of course, situations when we are at risk. Most often, deficiencies of this type are observed in people who are:

• the elderly,
• alcoholics or people who abuse alcohol,
• women using contraceptives,
• people with gastrointestinal disorders.

What are the most common symptoms of these deficiencies?

• Digestive disorders,
• muscle cramps,
• premature greying and hair loss,
• joint pain combined with stiffness,
• cracking of the skin around the corners of the mouth and eyes,
• chronic fatigue,
• susceptibility to frequent upper respiratory tract infections.

Unfortunately, these are symptoms that can occur with many other deficiencies, not just vitamin B5. However, it is worth taking them into account when trying to diagnose the causes of any of the symptoms. Especially if we have more than two or three of the symptoms listed and are in the risk group.

Effects of excess vitamin B5

In short, there are none. We cannot overdose on this important vitamin by eating natural products, because any excess is excreted from our body in urine. If someone were to insist on overdosing on vitamin B5 by taking supplements, which is possible, they would most likely develop diarrhoea.

What is our body's requirement for pantothenic acid?

It is worth providing this data to realise not only how much we need this vitamin, but above all who needs it the most. Here are the requirements estimated by the Food and Nutrition Institute:

• infants – approx. 1.7 mg
• children between 1 and 9 years of age – 2 to 4 mg
• boys and girls between 10 and 18 years of age – 4 to 5 mg
• men and women – approx. 5 mg
• pregnant women – approx. 6 mg
• breastfeeding women – approx. 7 mg.

Summary

After reading this post, we now know how important pantothenic acid is for our body. Let's remember this, especially if we are pregnant and expecting a baby or if we are elderly. Let's remember this when we want to stay healthy, beautiful and in a good mood for as long as possible. All we need to do is enrich our meals with foods rich in vitamin B5.

Bibliography

‘The Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century’, Earl Mindell, Wiedza i Życie Publishing House, 1993.

‘How to Protect Yourself from Disease with Vitamins’, Ulrich Flicke, Wiedza i Praktyka Publishing House, 2017.

‘How to Effectively Eliminate Inflammation in the Body’, Dr Will Cole, Eve Adamson, Vital Publishing House, 2021.