| Helps the body to combat stress. Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, is an essential part of the B-complex vitamins. B5, which is water-soluble, is vital for growth, reproduction, and normal physiological functions, such as the production, transporting, and release of energy from fats. B5 is the nutrient responsible for activating the adrenal glands, which help the body to combat stress.
When it comes to the body's energy metabolism, B5 plays a very important role. It is a necessary factor for the Kreb's cycle of energy production, and together with vitamins B1, B2, and B3, helps to produce ATP, the body's fuel for energy. B5 is required for the synthesis of lipids, as well as the production of steroids and neurotransmitters.
Vitamin B5 is needed to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which transports information between vertebral nerve cells. This vitamin also plays a large role in cholesterol management, by synthesizing cholesterol, which is needed to produce vitamin D and steroid hormones. One by-product of pantothenic acid, pantethine, may help lower blood levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides. |
