Vitamin B5
What is vitamin b5?
Just like other B-complex vitamins, pantothenic acid, more commonly known as vitamin B5, metabolizes food and maintains healthy organs. But its health benefits certainly don’t stop there.
The term “pantothenic” derives partly from the Greek word for “everywhere” — an apt name for a vitamin that’s so abundant in our diets. However, our bodies don’t store vitamin B5, so we must restore our B5 levels daily through our diets. Let’s take a closer look at how vitamin B5 promotes good health from the inside out.
What does vitamin B5 do for your body?
BOOSTS YOUR METABOLISM.
Vitamin B5 is a key player in your body’s metabolic processes, which convert food into energy, fatty acids, and cholesterol. Vitamin B5 also helps the body process other B-complex vitamins.
KEEPS YOUR HAIR, SKIN, AND EYES HEALTHY.
Vitamin B5 is a common ingredient in makeup, moisturizer, and hair care products. Many skincare products contain vitamin B5 to treat a number of conditions, from eczema to acne.
Produces red blood cells and hormones..
Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body and eliminate carbon dioxide. Some research suggests that vitamin B5 can help lower cholesterol levels.
Helps the liver, nervous system, and digestive tract function properly.
Vitamin B5 aids the synthesis of coenzyme A, which the liver relies on to process toxins and drugs. This coenzyme also helps transmit messages in our cells, synthesizes fatty acids, and plays a role in our body’s response to stress.
How does vitamin B5 relate to my lifestyle?
Just like every other vitamin, B5 promotes good health and aids in vital biological functions. But how do those functions influence your everyday life? In short, vitamin B5 keeps you looking and feeling good. Here’s how.
Keeps skin glowing and hair healthy
There’s a reason why vitamin B5 is so common in skincare and hair care products. Its anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its ability to lock in moisture, make it an essential part of any skincare routine. Vitamin B5 is especially important for your hair — as well as preventing hair loss by keeping follicles strong and moisturized, B5 also protects those luscious locks from heat damage.
Reduces anxiety, depression, and stress
As we’ve already seen, vitamin B5 is necessary for synthesizing coenzyme A, which works with other nutrients to produce cortisol and other stress hormones. Cortisol triggers your body’s “flight-or-fight” response in times of stress. The cortisol balance is a delicate one — not enough cortisol causes an inability to respond to stress properly, while too much cortisol causes poor sleep quality, weight gain, and mood swings over time.
Although research into vitamin B5’s stress-relieving properties is still ongoing, it’s thought that vitamin B5 can help regulate cortisol production and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
May help treat a range of medical conditions
Aside from mental health problems and skin conditions, people take vitamin B5 supplements to treat an array of health problems, from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis to obesity and alcoholism. The list of potential treatments is truly a long one, although it’s important to note that more research is needed to confirm its efficacy.
How much vitamin B5 do you need?
The amount of vitamin B5 you need differs depending on several factors, including your age, biological sex, and whether or not you have any pre-existing conditions that increase your risk of deficiency. The maximum recommended daily amount is 7 mg, but studies show that taking as much as 200 mg causes no ill effects. And because your vitamin B5 levels must be replenished daily, overconsumption is highly unlikely.
What foods are rich in vitamin B5?
It might be easier to compile a list of foods that aren’t rich in vitamin B5. This nutrient is present in practically all the foods we eat, including whole grains, starchy vegetables, meat, dairy, beans, and lentils.
A balanced and varied diet, enjoyed with your favorite BrightFox flavors, provides all the vitamin B5 your body needs to stay healthy. BrightFox also contains a blend of other vitamins to keep you looking and feeling your best, whether you’re lifting weights at the gym, working on an important project, or celebrating the end of a long week with your favorite mixed drink.
Are certain people at risk of vitamin B5 deficiency?
People who consume heavy amounts of alcohol, take oral forms of birth control, or suffer from digestive disorders have a higher risk of vitamin B5 deficiency. Elderly people also have lower levels of vitamin B5. The good news is, supplementation quickly reverses any symptoms associated with deficiency.
What happens when you don’t get enough vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 deficiency is extremely rare since it’s readily available in most of the foods and beverages we consume. People with a vitamin B5 deficiency often don’t present any symptoms at all. Nausea, fatigue, and irritability are among the effects of vitamin B5 deficiency, but studies show increasing vitamin B5 intake relieves symptoms.
Is it possible to consume too much vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 is water-soluble, which means it dissolves in water. Our bodies also use it up quickly, without storing it. Consuming too much vitamin B5 requires heavy supplementation and is therefore rare. Symptoms associated with overconsumption are also mild and should disappear quickly.
Vitamin B5: The bottom line
From glowing skin and glossy hair to regulating mood and treating diseases, vitamin B5 keeps you healthy from the outside in. Researchers are still investigating the full extent of vitamin B5’s health benefits. As scientists continue to discover new ways this vitamin might treat a range of illnesses, the list of its advantages is sure to keep on growing.
Even though vitamin B5 is prevalent in our diets already, everyone could use a boost now and then. BrightFox gives your body a healthy, hydrating dose of essential nutrients, including vitamin B5 as well as other B-complex vitamins, to keep you going morning, noon, and night.
