Vitamins B5 and B6
B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Like the other elements of the vitamin B complex, B5 – pantothenic acid – is involved in the body’s metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It is named “pantothenic”, which is derived from a Greek word that means “everywhere”, because this vitamin can be found, albeit in small quantities, in many, many different foods.
Functions of B5 in your body
• Aids in the formation of antibodies
• Aids in wound healing
• Helps convert food into energy
• Helps with fatty acid transport
• Helps your body use other vitamins
• Needed for synthesis of coenzyme A
• Needed to make fatty acids
• Stimulates adrenal gland
• Used in red cell production
• Used in the synthesis of several amino acids
• Used to make vitamin D
Dosage – 50 to 250 milligrams daily. B vitamins are water soluble and leave the body quickly, so they should be taken twice a day. Therefore, you should take 5 to 125 milligrams of B5 twice a day.
Diseases / disorders that can be treated with B5 – acne, adrenal dysfunction, allergies, cold sores, detoxification, elevated triglycerides, genital herpes, fatigue, infection, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles and ulcerative colitis.
B6 (Pyridoxine)
Pyridoxine acts as a partner for more than one hundred different enzymes. As you get older, the efficiency with which you utilize B6 decreases, so it may be necessary to increase your intake of B6 as you age.
Functions of B6 in your body
• Detoxifies chemicals
• Involved in strengthening connective tissue
• Keys to the synthesis of several neurotransmitters, including the metabolism of tryptophan to serotonin
• Needed for REM sleep
• Needed for the absorption of fats and proteins
• Needed for the immune system
• Needed for the production of hydrocholoric acid
• Needed for the transfer of amino groups
• Used in the metabolism of amino acids
• Used in the methylation process, which lowers homocysteine levels (high levels of which can be a risk factor for heart disease and memory loss)
Symptoms of B6 deficiency – depression, fatigue, hyperactivity, insomnia, irritability, mental confusion, mouth ulcers, nervousness, numbness, skin lesions around the mouth and weakness.
Side effects and contraindications
At too high a dose (more than 500 milligrams a day), pyridoxine can cause a neuropathy (nerve disorder). If you are taking levodopa for Parkinson’s disease, do not take B6 without first consulting your doctor. Also, high dose supplementation of a single B vitamin can cause imbalances of other B vitamins.
Diseases / disorders that can be treated with B6 – asthma, atherosclerosis, autism, carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation, depression, diabetes mellitus, eczema, epilepsy, infertility, irritability, monosodium glutamate (MSG) sensitivity or intolerance, nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, nervous system dysfunction, osteoporosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), prevention of calcium oxalate kidney stones, schizophrenia, seborrheic dermatitis and sickle cell disease.
USANA Vitamins Mega Antioxidant contains carefully proportioned B-complex vitamins, which are fundamental to energy production, metabolism, growth, and maintenance of normal homocysteine levels, provided they are normal to begin with.* USANA Mega Antioxidant supplies advanced levels of vitamin B12 at 200 μg in one daily dose.* (*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)
