Pantothenic Acid - what is it?
Pantothenic Acid, New RDA* 6 mg
Pantothenic acid is one of the B-group vitamins. It's water-soluble, which means you need it in your diet every day because it can't be stored in the body.
The active vitamin is present in virtually all plant, animal and microbial cells.
*Sourced from EFSA WEBSITE
Pantothenic - what does it do?
Works in the body to help release energy from the food we eat.
Pantothenate, usually in the form of CoA-containing species (e.g. acetyl CoA, succinyl CoA), fulfils multiple roles in cellular metabolism and in the synthesis of many essential molecules.
Deficiency
Deficiency of pantothenic acid in humans is extremely rare. Pantothenic acid deficiency has been induced experimentally in human subjects by a diet virtually devoid of the vitamin, or by the administration of a metabolic antagonist (omega-methyl pantothenic acid).
Signs and symptoms exhibited by subjects given the antagonist (not all of which were necessarily due to the deficiency) included irritability and restlessness, fatigue, apathy, malaise, sleep disturbance, gastrointestinal complaints (such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps) neurological and other clinical effects such as numbness, paraesthesia, muscle cramps and staggering gait, hypoglycaemia and an increased sensitivity to insulin.
Historically, pantothenic acid deficiency has been implicated in the ‘burning feet’ syndrome experienced by severely malnourished prisoners of war.
Pantothenic Acid - Sources
Chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, kidney, eggs, broccoli and whole grains such as brown rice and wholemeal bread.
Breakfast cereals are also a good source if they have been fortified with pantothenic acid.
