Overview
Pantothenic acid is
a member of the B-complex family, specifically B5. Pantothenic
acid is essential for many basic bodily functions, from growth
to reproduction. It is necessary in the metabolism of proteins,
fats and carbohydrates, synthesizes enzymes that are necessary
for neurological functioning and facilitates communication
throughout the central nervous system.
Because pantothenic
acid is widely available from a variety of foods, a true
‘deficiency’ is rare in humans. However, doctors often prescribe
supplements to get higher doses of pantothenic acid in the
treatment of various illnesses.
What
Pantothenic Acid Does:
All the B vitamins play a role in metabolism, but in addition,
B5 (pantothenic acid) is vital in the manufacture of red blood
cells, sex hormones, and stress-related hormones created in the
adrenal glands. It also helps to maintain a healthy digestive
tract and assists the body in using other vitamins and
nutrients. Pantothenic acid is also believed to enhance the
body’s immune system and regulate its physical reactions to
stress. Because of its role in regulating stress reactions,
pantothenic acid may play a major role in prevention or
reduction of symptoms in stress related diseases.
Health
Benefits of Pantothenic Acid:
Manage
Stress
Pantothenic acid is one of the vitamins that the adrenal system
uses to synthesize stress hormones, among other hormones. Those
hormones are the substances in our bodies that help manage the
physical effects of stress. Because of this property of
pantothenic acid, it is potentially beneficial in the management
and prevention of stress related ailments like migraine,
anxiety, depression, emotional upset and chronic fatigue.
Combat
Heartburn
When
taken with choline and thiamin, pantethonic acid has been shown
effective in preventing heartburn and lessening its severity.
Lessen
the symptoms of seasonal allergies
Pantothenic acid seems to increase the effectiveness of other
allergy remedies, and can help relieve nasal congestion and
alleviate asthmatic symptoms related to seasonal allergies.
Wound
healing and burns
There is
some promising preliminary research that suggests that
pantothenic acid helps speed healing of wounds and burns.
Possible
Side Effects of Pantothenic Acid
The only
reported side effect of pantothenic acid is possible diarrhea at
doses above 10,000 mg (10 g) per day.
Summary
As one
of the B-complex vitamins, pantethonic acid is necessary for a
wide variety of healthy bodily functions. While a deficiency of
pantethonic acid is rare, there’s a great deal of evidence to
believe that we don’t get enough of the B vitamins for OPTIMAL
bodily functions. Supplementing your diet with a good
multivitamin that contains a full complement of the B-complex
vitamins may help ward off many of the ‘unavoidable’ diseases of
aging, and help your body to heal and deal with the effects of
stress.
While
there is no Recommended Daily Allowance of pantothenic acid,
most nutrition experts recommend at least 4 to 7 mg a day, with
higher dosages recommended to treat specific conditions such as
stress, heartburn, allergies and high cholesterol.
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