Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency
There is an abundance of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid in most diets. Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid was actually named for the Greek word pantothen which means “from everywhere.” Nearly every food source on the planet contains some level of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. It is very rare for anyone to suffer from Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid deficiency.
Recommended Daily Amounts of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
The food Nutrition Center of the Institute of Medicine has established the following recommended dietary intakes: age 0-6 months: 1.7 milligrams per day (mg/day), age 7-12 months 1.8 mg/day, age 1-3 years: 2 mg/day, age 4-8 years: 3 mg/day, age 9-13 years: 4 mg/day, and age 14 and older: 5 mg/day. There are different recommendations for women who are pregnant and also women who are breast feeding. It is recommended that women who are pregnant receive 6 mg/day, and women who are breastfeeding receive 7 mg/day.
Supplementation of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
The more stable form of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid in supplementation is pantothenol, and pantothenol is often used as a source of the vitamin in multivitamin supplements. The other major form of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid used in supplementation is calcium pantothenate. Ten mg of calcium pantothenate is equivalent to 9.2 mg of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. The reason for the use of calcium pantothenate is used frequently in dietary supplements is due to it being a salt. As a salt, calcium pantothenate, is more stable than Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid in the digestive tract allowing for better absorption.
There have been found to be multiple benefits connected with the supplementation of 2 g/day of calcium pantothenate, which in turn benefits Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. Some of these benefits include: reduction of the duration of morning stiffness, degree of disability and pain severity in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and although the data is in dispute there seems to be benefits for the improvement of oxygen utilization efficiency and reduction of lactic acid accumulation in athletes.
Symptoms of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency
While Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency is very rare, it still does occur. Since there is such an abundance of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid in multiple food sources there is very little research dedicated to see the results of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency. Normally the only cause reported involves either starvation or the willing test patient abstaining from Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. There are other individuals which are at a higher risk of most all vitamin deficiencies who should monitor their vitamin intakes. Alcoholics, fad dieters, people with chronic diseases, people suffering from eating disorders, or those people who suffer from extreme food allergies all should be extra careful of the amounts of certain vitamins and minerals which are in their diet, and that includes Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid.
Those who are suffering from Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid deficiency will most likely experience the following symptoms: impaired energy levels, irritability, fatigue, apathy, acetylcholine synthesis is impaired, neurological symptoms, numbness, parenthesis, muscle cramps, hypoglycemia, increased sensitivity to insulin, restlessness, malaise, sleep disturbances, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, adrenal insufficiency, and hepatic encephalopathy.
The volunteers who have been tested for Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency also reported feeling a burning sensation in their feet. Researchers believe there is a correlation between these finding and the reports of malnourished prisoners of war who also reported that they had a burning sensation in their feet during captivity.
In nearly all but extreme cases of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency, the symptoms and effects of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Deficiency were reversed with the administration of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid into a diet.
Toxicity of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
Being a water-soluble vitamin, Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid is very unlikely to cause toxicity in humans. There is still no tolerable upper level intake (UL) established for Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. The only symptoms which occur from larger dosages of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid are reported to be mild intestinal distress, and diarrhea. For some extremely large dosages of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid there have been some reports of nausea and a lack of fatigue.
Getting a Sufficient Level of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
While there is no short supple of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid, there are some diets which limit the amounts of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. These diets include large amounts of items which are low in Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. While this will not lead to major medical problems, it will limit the benefits the human body gets from having a store of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid. Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid is water-soluble so the body needs to replenish its supplies every day. The best way to get a sufficient amount of Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid is by taking a good daily multivitamin. It is preferable if the daily multivitamin is gender specific. Why? Men and women biologically need different amounts of vitamins and minerals in their body to remain healthy. A gender specific multivitamin will ensure a person is getting the right amount of vitamins, including Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid, for their gender.
