Nutritional Imbalance: Low PABA

background info | recommendations

PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) is a substance which acts much like a vitamin in the body. However, since it has not been proven to be essential to good health, it is not considered a "true" vitamin. Nevertheless, PABA does have certain important benefits:

• it is a powerful stimulant for tissue healing (especially sunburn);
• in cream form it is a very effective sun blocker; and
• it is important for maintaining healthy hair and skin.

PABA and folic acid (detailed above) are very closely related in purpose, for PABA is actually a derivative of folic acid. PABA deficiencies are extremely rare and PABA supplementation is not advised unless it's recommended by your doctor. Some people are either sensitive or allergic to PABA, and should not take PABA supplements, but the amount in a multivitamin tablet should not cause an allergic reaction. You can also achieve most of the benefits of PABA from foods containing folic acid.

PABA Recommendations:

PABA is found in eggs, liver, wheat germ, lecithin, molasses, peanuts, soybeans, brown rice and whole grains.

Folic acid and PABA are closely related and if your nutritional score shows a possible PABA deficiency, remember that you can get most of the benefits of PABA from foods containing folic acid. Folic acid is found in dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, milk products, whole wheat, rye flour, dates, salmon, oysters, tuna and organ meats (I recommend only organic organ meats). As a supplement, PABA is safe in the amounts contained in most multivitamin/mineral tablets or B complex tablets. I do not recommend taking additional, single-dose supplements of PABA.