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What is Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and why do we need it?
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), is one of the most important vitamins. It’s necessary for making blood cells, it helps you convert the food you eat into energy, it is important in maintaining a healthy digestive tract, and it helps the body use other vitamins2,3.
Vitamin B5 is one of those vitamins that has many additional benefits for the body including support for 1, 2, 3:
- building and breaking down fatty acids as well as performing other metabolic functions 1
- lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and raising HDL (good) cholesterol (studies3)
- moisturizing effects on the skin
- speeding up wound healing
- making sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands2
And, Vitamin B5 can be found naturally in many legumes, beans, or other vegetables such as 1,2,3:
- corn
- cauliflower
- kale
- broccoli
- soybeans
- tomatoes
- avocado
- legumes
- lentils
- split peas
- peanuts
- sunflower seeds
- sweet potatoes
- beans
- lentils
- mushrooms
- brown rice
With a plant-based diet, you can easily increase your intake of vitamin B5 by including vitamin-B5-rich beans, legumes, and vegetables in your healthy soups, salads, buddha bowls, and meals.
And, you can up your vitamin B5 intake in your meals and drinks with the following suggestions:
- Breakfasts - a refreshing glass of soymilk
- Lunches - a healthy tomato salad, chips, and a bean dip, or a side of avocado
- Dinners - curries or buddha bowls with spicy lentils over brown rice, or a delicious and spicy burrito with a side of steamed kale or sweet potatoes
- Snacks - peanuts or sunflower seeds
- Drinks - sunflower milk, soymilk, or another bean-based milk
In addition, the beans, nuts, legumes, and vegetables above have even more vitamins and minerals than just vitamin B5.
Need more quick ideas on how to increase your vitamin B5? Try:
- Soymilk-based ice cream
- A glass of tomato juice
- Peanuts or sunflower seeds
Garden of Vegan makes it easy to eat vitamin-B5-rich foods with our healthy ready-made meals, pantry boxes, sides, and produce boxes.
Garden of Vegan creates healthy meals that include many vitamin-B5-rich foods in their prepared main meals, breakfast meals, sides, and snacks.
In addition, several pantry items are easy to incorporate into your daily routine that contain vitamin B5-rich foods. And, of course, the seasonal produce boxes have vitamin B5 in the veggie box (such as tomatoes, avocados, kale peas, beans, or nuts).
Garden of Vegan's NDIS participants can also increase their vitamin B5 intake by choosing healthy meals with vitamin B5-rich legumes, beans, nuts, and vegetables.
Eligible NDIS participants can increase their vitamin B5 intake with healthy meals, sides, desserts, and pantry items delivered and they only pay for the food cost component of the meals they order. NDIS participants and NDIS plan managers can learn more about Garden of Vegan NDIS plans and healthy meal delivery by filling out our NDIS form and we'll contact you as soon as possible.
Garden of Vegan's six meal plans also include many meals with vitamin B5-rich vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, and more!
Visit our Meal Plans to Suit your Lifestyle section and select a nutritional meal plan that is high in vegetables, legumes, or beans that contain vitamin B5, or you can add them separately by adding pantry items!
Learn more about vitamins and nutrition in the Garden of Vegan Vitamin Guide
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- Vitamin B7 (biotin)
- Vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid)
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Read more Garden of Vegan nutrition articles
Great Plant-based Sources of Potassium
Great Plant-based Sources of iron
Fibre: What is it and why do I need it?
How Can I Increase My Protein Intake?
Calories, Protein, Carbs, And Fat, What Does It All Mean?
Great Plant-based Sources of Calcium
References:
1. Pantothenic Acid – Vitamin B5 - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2. What Does Vitamin B5 Do? - healthline
3. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) - Mount Sinai