Vitamin B5 is critical for energy (ATP) production as well as glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Pantothenic acid also seems to have an affinity for the adrenal glands and supports the production of both sex and stress hormones. A diet rich in this vitamin may be able to support your body during times of high stress; helping to alleviate anxiety.
Fortunately, vitamin B5 is found within almost all foods, so a deficiency is very rare.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
Men 19 and older, 5 mg/day
Women 19 and older, 5 mg/day
Pregnant women, 6 mg/day
Breastfeeding women, 7 mg/day
Upper Limit (UL), no upper limit has been established
Food Sources of Vitamin B5
Animal Sources: organ meats, egg yolks, turkey, salmon, trout, and abalone
3.5 oz chicken livers— 8.3 mg
3 oz abalone— 2.6 mg
3 oz trout fillet— 1.9 mg
3.5 oz duck breast— 1.6 mg
3.5 oz cooked turkey, dark meat— 1.3 mg
2 large eggs— 1.0 mg
Plant sources: sunflower seeds, mushrooms, grains, and sun dried tomatoes
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds— 4.8 mg
1 cup cooked shitake mushrooms— 5.2 mg
1 cup boiled mushroom pieces— 3.4 mg
3.5 oz grilled Portobello mushroom— 1.6 mg
1 cup uncooked amaranth— 2.8 mg
1 cup brown rice— 2.5 mg
1 cup roasted buckwheat groats— 2.0 mg
1 oz spirulina— 1.0 mg
1 cup sun dried tomatoes— 1.1 mg
1 oz gjetost cheese— 0.9 mg
1 oz blue cheese— 0.5 mg
1 oz camembert— 0.4 mg
If you have read through Nutrition 101, perhaps you are now seeing a distinct pattern? Liver and organ meats are clearly All-Star foods, as are dark leafy greens, brewer’s yeast, mushrooms, eggs, sunflower seeds, salmon, seafoods, and properly prepared grains. While vitamin B5, in particular, is found in the majority of foods, never include things like french fries or donuts on that list! Foods such as these lack any kind of significant nutrition.
A varied diet of whole-food sources not only provides an array of tastes, but also an array of nutrients!
