What are the Benefits of PABA?

PABA is a part of the B complex vitamins and is made in the body naturally with folic acid. It is not considered a vitamin because the body produces it naturally and because the body cannot make folate from PABA, according to vitamins-supplements.org. The compound does have some benefits for people.

Sunscreen

• PABA is available as a topical compound that protects the skin from the harmful effects of the sun. A sunscreen containing PABA is able to absorb the ultraviolet rays from the sun, prevent sun damage such as sunburn, wrinkling, skin cancer and age spots caused by excessive sunlight.

  Some users of PABA are sensitive to the topical treatment and should look for sunscreen products that are PABA-free to avoid a skin reaction.

Antioxidant

• PABA is an antioxidant that helps to restore damage to the body caused by free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to the cells and are responsible for aging and cancer. Antioxidants reduce the effect of free radicals by stopping their damaging chain reaction in the body. PABA is found in green leafy vegetables, bran, yogurt, eggs, liver and whole grains. It is also available in a supplement form.

Medical Benefits

• PABA is given as a medical treatment for conditions such as scleroderma, vitiligo, Peyronie's disease and morphea, according to vitamins-supplements.org. Cortisone has also been found to be enhanced by the use of PABA.

Healthy Hair

• PABA protects hair follicles from damage when it is taken as a supplement. The supplement does not stop hair loss once it has started, but it can help to prevent it from occurring, according to health-care-clinic.org.

Deficiency of PABA

• A PABA deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms such as depression, fatigue, graying of the hair, headache, constipation and digestive disorders that may be treated with supplements. Supplementing with PABA will not eliminate gray hair unless the graying is caused by a deficiency in the B-vitamin compound.