Pantothenic acid is abundant in fish, legumes, organ meats, whole grains and yogurt. However, if these foods are pre-processed, their Pantothenic acid content is significantly reduced. For example, whole grain products contain 50% less Pantothenic acid than the unprocessed whole grains, and legumes (beans) lose 80% of this nutrient when they are canned.
Why Pantothenic Acid Is Vital To Human Nutrition . . .
Also known as vitamin B5, Pantothenic acid assists the other B complex vitamins in converting food into usable energy. It is also an essential part of the body's ability to produce various enzymes, which act as the catalyst to numerous biochemical reactions in the body. Pantothenic acid also helps support the central nervous system by preserving communication lines between the nervous system (nerves) and the brain. Pantothenic acid may also prove to be beneficial for dealing with allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, heartburn, migraines, and stress.
Pantothenic acid is an essential part of the body's ability to produce stress hormone, and it is believed that when a person becomes over-stressed and thus overproduces stress hormones, the body becomes depleted of this vitamin and its stores must be replenished. Depression and anxiety are two forms of stress that increase the need for Pantothenic acid, so if you are experiencing any symptoms of stress, it is important that you take a daily multivitamin that includes vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid). Stress is a common factor in life-changing events. Migraines and chronic fatigue also trigger high levels of stress hormones, meaning that extra supplementation is also needed.
Interestingly, combining Pantothenic acid with choline and thiamin, two other B vitamin factors, may prove a helpful treatment for heartburn by acting on the central nervous system to maintain the digestive process. Pantothenic acid can also act as a decongestant helping to unclog nasal congestion during the allergic response.
How To Assure Adequate Pantothenic Acid Intake:
There is no RDA for Pantothenic acid, which is readily supplied in the foods we eat every day. In fact, Pantothenic acid is found in so many foods that deficiency is extremely rare.
Vitamin B6 is the hardest working nutrient in the human body, but it is the most common vitamin deficiency in the human diet. It is estimated that one third of all adults have Vitamin B6 deficiency, with more women than men suffering from the deficiency.
Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient requiruired for life. It functions primarily as a coenzyme, which is to act as a catalyst for other enzymes that need proper assistance to complete their job. Neurotransmitters, proteins, and red blood cells all require Vitamin B6 in order to be formed; and it is also required for the metabolism of foods into energy. Research is showing the Vitamin B6 may play a crucial role in disease prevention and treatment.
Along with Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 has been shown to help the body reduce homocysteine, an amino acid-like compound that is being studied for its relationship to an increase in heart disease.
Vitamin B6 also plays many other important roles in the body . . . Supplementation with Vitamin B6 has been found to decrease PMS symptoms and can provide relief for pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness. Other studies show that this nutrient may be helpful in treating epilepsy and depression because it helps the body produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which may be lacking in these patients. Vitamin B6 also plays a role in helping maintain the health of nerves, which is very valuable to those with
Vitamin B6 is found in several foods
Beef liverOften recommended by health professionals for mood disorders, the intake of Thiamin to boost mood is valuable, even when the vitamin is not deficient in the body. One study of a group of college-age women who were not deficient in Thiamin reported improved mood, energy and alertness after just 2 months of taking 50 mg. of Thiamin a day.
And yet another study showed that taking 10 mg. of thiamin each day for 3 months improved energy levels in the elderly, along with lowered blood pressure, healthy weight loss and an improved quality of sleep. Recent reports claim that Thiamin may be helpful in treating the memory-loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, although this has not yet been fully proven.
Known as Vitamin B1, thiamin was the very first B-Vitamin discovered. As an integral part of the B-complex spectrum of vitamins, thiamin is primarily involved in energy metabolism turning foods into a useablee energy source for the body, known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). All of the B-vitamins work together to produce ATP, and each different vitamin is also involved in more specific aspects of the human body.
Thiamin helps support healthy nerves and a healthy heart, is involved in positively influencing mood, and is also now considered useful for soothing heartburn.
Besides playing an vital role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein, thiamin is also important to maintaining heart health. The human heart pumps blood in and out of its four chambers numerous times every day, sending blood through vessels to the various parts of the human body.
Regular daily intake of Thiamin is essential to people suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF) because it was shown to increase the heart's pumping ability. Thiamin has been found in very low levels in those people with Congested Heart Failure. Long term use of diuretic drugs, which are often prescribed to Congested Heart Failure patients, deplete the body's storage of Thiamin. One study of Congested Heart Failure patients taking diuretics showed that taking at least 200 mg. of Vitamin B1 each day for 6 weeks improved the heart's pumping ability by 22%.
Not only does Thiamin help support a healthy working heart, it also helps promote healthy nerve function throughout the body. Although there are a number of diseases that affect nerve health, diabetics especially suffer from nerve damage, if the disease is uncontrolled, resulting in a numbing of the extremities, usually detected first as a tingling in the hands and/or feet.
Thiamin may be used to support overall nerve health, ultimately minimizing numbness and tingling and helping to protect against this condition.
Like all of the B-complex Vitamins, the body requires a steady dose of Thiamin each day to function at optimal levels because it is water-soluble.
Deficiency can have a negative effect on mood, including increased irritability and depression, as well as result in increased muscle fatigue.
Severe deficiency results in a condition known as beriberi, resulting in nerve damage, muscle loss, loss of mental abilities, paralysis and eventually death.
Since Thiamin is a water-soluble vitamin, any excess that is taken in and not used by the body, will simply be excreted in the urine, so toxicity is not a concern.
Thiamin is found specifically in:
enriched grain products
It is important to be aware that drinking diuretics, such as coffee, tea, or soda, can deplete Thiamin levels so it is important to drink those in moderation, or be sure to take extra Thiamin.
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