Type: Compound
Vitamin: B5
Name: Pantothenic Acid
RDA:10 mg
Importance- to Body:
Functions in form of coenzyme A in reactions that remove of transfer acetyl group, e.g., formation of acetyl CoA from pyruvic acid, oxidation and synthesis of fatty acids; also involved in synthesis of steroids and heme of hemoglobin.
Distribution- in Body:
Quite stable, little loss of activity with cooking except in acidic or alkaline solutions; liver, kidney, brain, adrenal, heart tissues contain large amounts.
Excess Effects:
None listed
Deficiency Effects:
(neuropathy of alcoholics is thought to be related to deficits).
Symptoms are vague: Loss of Appetite, Abdominal Pain, Mental Depression, Pains in Arms and Legs, Muscle Spasms, Neuromuscular Degeneration
Food Sources:
Widely distributed in animal foods, Whole Grains, Legumes, Liver, Yeast, Egg Yolk, Meat is an especially good source; some produced by enteric bacteria
Environmental/Geographic Sources:
None listed
Supplemental information:
Vitamin B5
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Categories: Vitamin
Synonyms:
Pantothenic acid