January 31, 2019

GEM Glossary: Vitamin B5 Benefits

Vitamin B5: The Supporter


Why B5? 💭


Vitamin B5 (AKA Pantothenic Acid) is one of the most important vitamins for human life (1). The name derives from the Greek word pantothen, meaning “from everywhere,” reflecting the fact that small amounts of pantothenic acid can be found in nearly every food.


What are vitamin b5 benefits? It is necessary for the creation of blood cells, healthy skin, maintaining a healthy digestive tract and helping the body use other vitamins, particularly B2 (riboflavin). It is sometimes called the “anti-stress” vitamin.


All eight B vitamins (known as the B Complex) are needed to:

  1. convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy for our busy lives
  2. make sex and stress-related hormones produced in the adrenal glands
  3. help the nervous system function properly

SOURCES 🌎


These foods are rich in B5:


  • Avocados 
  • Animal organs like liver and kidney
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Milk products
  • Eggs
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Legumes
  • Mushrooms
  • Sweet potatoes

Where do we get our B5 from? 🌿


Here at GEM, we source B5 from the trees of the sea and quinoa sprouts! Chlorella and Spirulina are rich in B vitamins and help specifically with detoxification and energy boosts. We have a blog post dedicated to all things algae, click here to read about why we are are SO obsessed with it.


Are you deficient? 👀


Deficiency within the US is very unlikely, as only those who are malnourished are typically deficient. Nonetheless, signs of deficiency include:

  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Impaired muscle coordination

BENEFITS 👍


Women’s Health 💁

B5 is suggested to promote healthy skin, hair, and eyes. Vitamin B5 has also been linked to assisting with acne, PMS and yeast infections for women. GEM contains 2.7mg of B5, making up 55% of the recommended daily intake!

High Cholesterol ❌

Some small, double-blind studies suggest that vitamin B5 may help reduce fats in the blood of people with high cholesterol (2). Some studies show that B5 helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Other open studies suggest that B5 seems to help lower cholesterol in those suffering from diabetes. While these studies are few and far between, larger studies are needed to conclude these suggestions.

Sources: 

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/vitamin-watch-what-does-b5-do#additional-uses

2. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid

Photo by Alison Marras on Unsplash

This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles and contains trusted sources.

Our goal at GEM is to give readers up-to-date and objective information on health-related topics. GEM content is written by experienced health and lifestyle contributors and articles undergo an extensive review process.

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