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Vitamin B5 Deficiency: Causes And Treatment

Vitamin B5 deficiency is more common in women. The vitamin is important for fat metabolism and energy production. Therefore, you should have a deficiency treated and get to the bottom of the causes.

What are the causes of a vitamin B5 deficiency?

Since vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is found in almost all foods, a severe deficiency is rare in this country – unlike the widespread iodine deficiency. However, mild forms of vitamin B5 deficiency are possible. This is partly because the vitamin is very sensitive to heat and large amounts are lost when cooking, roasting, or baking.

But malnutrition and malnutrition, such as the frequent consumption of ready-made products, and diets can also result in not consuming enough vitamins and minerals with food. Radical dieting could be one of the reasons why women are more likely to be affected – statistically speaking, they are more likely than men to try to reduce their weight with extreme dietary changes. People with eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, also often suffer from malnutrition.

Chronic gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, can also be a cause of vitamin B5 deficiency. Their intestinal mucosa is permanently inflamed, which reduces the ability of the body to absorb vitamin B5. Alcoholics have a similar problem: Because the liver is severely damaged by alcohol consumption, it can no longer properly utilize vitamins and nutrients.

What are the symptoms of a vitamin B5 deficiency?

Since a vitamin B5 deficiency often occurs in connection with another deficiency in the vitamin B complex, the symptoms are also similar. First signs are

  • fatigue
  • lack of concentration
  • sleep disorders
  • irritability and
  • mild depressive moods

A severe isolated vitamin B5 deficiency is only known in this country in alcoholics or extreme malnutrition, as occurs in anorexia. It leads to the so-called “Burning Feet Syndrome”. This causes painful burning, tingling, and numbness in the soles of the feet. Muscle weakness is also a symptom of a severe vitamin B5 deficiency.

What is the treatment for a vitamin B5 deficiency?

If the doctor diagnoses an isolated, acute vitamin B5 deficiency, this must be remedied quickly. The amounts of vitamin B5 that would be necessary for this cannot be reached quickly enough through nutrition. Severe deficiency symptoms may require treatment with up to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin B5 per day. For example, you would have to eat 1.5 kilograms of liver per day. For minor deficiencies, doses of 100 to 200 milligrams of vitamin B5 are prescribed.

Even if vitamin B5 causes almost no side effects, even in high doses, the treatment of a vitamin B5 deficiency should always be discussed with your doctor.

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Written by Micah Stanley

Hi, I'm Micah. I am a creative Expert Freelance Dietitian Nutritionist with years of experience in counseling, recipe creation, nutrition, and content writing, product development.

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