Pantothenic Acid - Vitamin B5
What’s Pantothenic Acid?
Another one in the long list of B vitamins, pantothenic acid is one you need to know about. Find out why below!
Pantothenic Acid Function
Pantothenic Acid is also known as B5 and it does all the things expected of this group of vitamins, including converting nutrients to energy and ensuring the healthy function of the nervous system.
It stands out from the other Bs, with its work in the adrenal glands. Here it helps boost sex and stress hormones. It is also responsible for making cholesterol. While stress and cholesterol don’t sound like things you want to encourage in your body, a little bit of stress actually motivates us to get things done, while cholesterol can be good or bad. There are studies proving that pantothenic acid can reduce the negative effects of both.
Chen et al. found positive results in using pantothenic acid to reduce cholesterol in their study, while G. Kelly found that it was important in reducing stress when combined with other vitamins (2). In fact, it is sometimes called the stress hormone.
How Pantothenic Acid Boosts Energy
This clever vitamin boosts both energy and motivation, a powerful combination for those with big goals! Pantothenic Acid enables the creation of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain, which helps clear away mental fog, enhance focus, and even improve your memory!
It plays a key role in creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which fuels your cells, boosting your energy and your mood (3). And it is also vital to create Coenzyme-A, an enzyme responsible for the production of melatonin. Since melatonin helps you to get a good night’s sleep, you feel the after-effects of this vitamin long after you’ve consumed it!
Where Does Pantothenic Acid Come From?
You can get Pantothenic Acid in almost everything you eat since it is found in both animal and plant food sources. Meat and vegetables like broccoli, avocado, and mushrooms are rich in the vitamin. If you aren’t quite getting enough, supplements are a sensible option.