Natural products with pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 from Switzerland

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, belongs to the vitamin B complex and to the water-soluble vitamins. It contributes to a normal energy metabolism, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to a normal mental performance. Further, pantothenic acid contributes to normal synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D and some neurotransmitters.

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid belongs to the group of various B vitamins. The name of pantothenic acid originally goes back to the Greek term pantos. This means as much as “everywhere”. What is meant by this is that vitamin B5 is contained in almost all animal and plant foods. It has an important role when it comes to energy metabolism.

Vitamin B5 is also a part of acetyl-coenzyme-A and thus responsible for transforming food into energy. Pantothenic acid is also involved in the production of numerous molecules in the body. These include hemoglobin, the red pigment in the blood, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and bile acids. Neurotransmitters are important for brain function. That is why vitamin B5 is additionally called brain food.

What else you should know about vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 is a water-soluble vitamin. It passes completely through the bloodstream, while it is excreted through the urine. The vitamin is not stored in the body, which is why daily intake is necessary. Not only humans, but also animals need vitamin B5 to produce and consume carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The technical terms for this are synthesizing and metabolizing.

Coenzyme A, mentioned above, is important for cell metabolism and is also involved in various enzyme reactions in the body. It is especially essential for fat metabolism. Therefore, vitamin B5 must be consumed daily with food to contribute to the health of the body. In this way, the various processes can run undisturbed. The enzyme CoA is also important in this process.

The enzyme can be helpful to support the stress resistance. In this case, the body needs more energy so that it can withstand the stress. That is, it needs to metabolize sugars and fats more rapidly to provide energy. When stressful situations occur, nerve metabolism must be turned on to provide energy.

And now that the enzyme CoA is involved in such processes, they can take place more efficiently and faster. All that is required is a sufficiently high level in the body. There are other terms that can be used as synonyms for vitamin B5. These are dexpanthenol, pantothenic acid, calcium pantothenate or zinc pantothenate.

In which foods is vitamin B5 found?

Various foods are suitable for meeting the daily requirement of vitamin B5. Legumes, whole grain products, egg yolk, kidney and liver contain particularly high amounts of it. Other important sources ar