Paba

Is paba in a food,and just what does it do for the body.

Paba (para-aminobenzoic acid) is an organic compound that is part of the folic acid molecule and as a result is often considered part of the B vitamin family of nutrients. However, it has no vitamin activity on its own and cannot be used to make folic acid in the human body. Foods that are high in folic acid are brewers yeast, liver, spinach and legumes. Folic acid are need for the synthesis of DNA and RNA and the metabolism of various amino acids. Signs of deficiency are anemia, poor growth, poor nerve development and function and mental confusion. Paba can be manufactured in the gut by the good bacteria that lines the gut walls.