Benefits of Vitamin B5, Sources and Deficiency

Vitamin B5 is also known as pantothenic acid. Its name is derived from the Greek word pantos meaning "from everywhere," as small quantities of pantothenic acid are found in nearly every food. In its functional form, vitamin B5 gets combined with another small, sulfur-containing molecule to form coenzyme A (or CoA). This conversion allows vitamin B5 to participate in a wide variety of chemical and organic reactions. Coenzyme A is needed to carry out various metabolic functions, and for the generation of energy in the form of ATP from fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Roger J. Williams, the discoverer of pantothenic acid suggested that Vitamin B5 might be helpful in the management of certain medical disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Functions of Vitamin B5View the rest of this article