{"id":442,"date":"2008-05-12T22:58:51","date_gmt":"2008-05-12T22:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vitamins.ultimatefatburner.com\/?p=442"},"modified":"2015-03-09T12:12:44","modified_gmt":"2015-03-09T16:12:44","slug":"paba-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/vitamins\/paba-review.html","title":{"rendered":"PABA: A Cure in Search of a Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

PABA<\/strong> (para-aminobenzoic acid) is a naturally-occurring compound that is perhaps best known as an ingredient in topical sunscreens. Although other UV-absorbing agents have largely replaced it, PABA lingers on in the marketplace as a medical\/industrial chemical<\/a>.<\/p>\n

PABA is sometimes considered to be part of the vitamin B complex, but it’s not a true vitamin at all. Although it’s found in foods and is a precursor for folic acid synthesis, humans lack the enzymes needed to convert PABA to this essential nutrient – only plants and microorganisms can pull off this particular trick<\/a>. Theoretically, intestinal bacteria could<\/em> convert PABA into folate, but this pathway has not been shown to be a useful source of folate in the human diet – which is why dieticians and mainstream nutritional researchers recommend consuming folate-rich foods or supplements directly.<\/p>\n

Ironically, PABA is also sold as a nutritional supplement, even though it’s not a human nutrient at all. There is no required amount nor any known symptoms of deficiency. According to a safety assessment by the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products…<\/a><\/p>\n

“The toxicokinetics of PABA is characterized by fast oral absorption, biotransformation by the major routes acetylation and glycine conjugation, the minor route by glucuronidation in the liver and kidney, and a fast and almost complete elimination via the urine within 24-hours.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, it’s absorbed, detoxified and excreted… badda-bing, badda-boom.<\/p>\n

Despite this unpromising metabolic profile, however, many, many health\/disease claims have been made for PABA. If you visit any number of alternative health\/nutrition sites, you will likely “learn” that PABA supplementation is useful for…<\/p>\n