Pantothenic Acid: How Does it Benefit Me and Where Can I Find It?
Pantothenic acid is very important to the body because it is needed in order to form coenzyme-A (CoA). The body must have CoA in order to metabolize, or break down, foods such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. CoA is also important in that it helps the body synthesize cholesterol.
Pantothenic comes from the Greek word pantothen, which means "from everywhere". Perhaps this is because you can find this acid (sometimes only in small amounts) in nearly every food, plant, and animal. High quantities of pantothenic acid are found in whole-grain cereals, legumes, eggs, meat, fish, milk and royal jelly. It is thought, however, that the freezing and canning of these foods may cause a decrease in their pantothenic acid content.
Because pantothenic acid is found in so many sources of food, most humans get enough of it in their normal daily diet. Therefore, deficiency of this type in humans is very rare. It has only been seen in severe cases of malnutrition, and the side effects seemed to have been fatigue and headache. In these cases, oral pantothenic acid therapy has been sufficient to correct the condition.
The Food and Nutrition Center of the Institute of Medicine has recommended the following dietary intake of Pantothenic acid:
Age 0-6 months: 1.7 milligrams per day
Age 7-12 months: 1.8 mg/day
Age 1-3 years: 2 mg/day
Age 4-8 years: 3 mg/day
Age 9-13 years: 4 mg/day
Age 14 and above: 5 mg/day.
The best way to meet this dietary intake requirement is to eat a balanced diet consisting foods from each of the main food groups.
Sources:
Medline Plus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002410.htm
MSN http://health.msn.com/nutrition/nutrient-library/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100218811
Published by Jonna Norris
Jonna Norris has a degree in Education and has written educational curriculum for print as well as for an online school. She has worked with at-risk families and children with special needs. The mother of fi... View profile
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