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Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is an essential nutrient that helps turn food into energy. Pantothenic acid is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Learn how much you need, good sources, deficiency symptoms, and health effects.
Pantothenic Acid
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Pantothenic Acid
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Pantothenic acid (also called vitamin B5) helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need. It’s important for many functions in the body, especially making and breaking down fats.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Molecule
Image by TheVisualMD
The amount of pantothenic acid you need depends on your age and sex. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg):
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 1.7 mg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 1.8 mg |
| Children 1–3 years | 2 mg |
| Children 4–8 years | 3 mg |
| Children 9–13 years | 4 mg |
| Teens 14–18 years | 5 mg |
| Adults 19 years and older | 5 mg |
| Pregnant teens and women | 6 mg |
| Breastfeeding teens and women | 7 mg |
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Artichoke, MRI Scan - Eat foods high in Fiber and Nutrients
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Pantothenic acid is naturally present in almost all foods. It is also added to some foods, including some breakfast cereals and beverages (such as energy drinks). You can get recommended amounts of pantothenic acid by eating a variety of foods, including the following:
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Vitamin B, Effervescent, Tablet
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Pantothenic acid is available in dietary supplements containing only pantothenic acid, in B-complex dietary supplements, and in some multivitamin/multimineral supplements. Pantothenic acid in dietary supplements is often in the form of calcium pantothenate or pantethine. Research has not shown that any form of pantothenic acid is better than the others.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Microscopy of spinal cord sample from a mouse model of neurodegeneration
Image by NICHD/NIH, J. Gluski & C. Le Pichon C.
Most people in the United States get enough pantothenic acid. However, people with a rare inherited disorder called pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration can’t use pantothenic acid properly. This disorder can lead to symptoms of pantothenic acid deficiency.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Vitamin B5 Test
Also called: Pantothenate, Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B5 is a necessary substance for certain body processes to work properly. This vitamin can be found in a wide variety of foods, therefore having a deficiency is an infrequent occurrence.
Headache
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Pantothenic acid deficiency is very rare in the United States. Severe deficiency can cause numbness and burning of the hands and feet, headache, extreme tiredness, irritability, restlessness, sleeping problems, stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Triglycerides: Triglyceride
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Scientists are studying pantothenic acid to understand how it affects health. Here's one example of what this research has shown.
High cholesterol and triglyceride levels
The form of pantothenic acid called pantethine is being studied to see if it helps lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It’s also being studied to see if it raises levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol. The results of these studies so far are promising, but more research is needed to understand the effects of pantethine dietary supplements taken alone or combined with a heart-healthy diet.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Stomach pain
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Pantothenic acid is safe, even at high doses. However, taking very high doses of pantothenic acid supplements (such as 10,000 mg per day) can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Zero / None / Null
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images/Pixabay
Pantothenic acid is not known to interact or interfere with any medicines.
Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other healthcare providers about any dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medicines you take. They can tell you if those dietary supplements might interact with your medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
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