Monograph No. 011 / Vitamins
Vitamins
Pantothenic Acid: Benefits, Dosage, and Safety
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a water-soluble B vitamin needed to make coenzyme A, which the body uses to metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and proteins for energy.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a water-soluble B vitamin needed to make coenzyme A, which the body uses to metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and proteins for energy.
What pantothenic acid is
Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is an essential water-soluble B vitamin that is naturally present in a wide variety of plant and animal foods, added to some foods, and sold as a dietary supplement. Its main role is in the synthesis of coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein. About 85 percent of dietary pantothenic acid arrives as CoA or phosphopantetheine, which digestive enzymes convert to free pantothenic acid before it is absorbed in the intestine. Because it is so widely distributed in the food supply, dietary deficiency is rare.
What it does
- Serves as the building block for coenzyme A (CoA), which is central to energy metabolism
- Supports the synthesis and breakdown of fatty acids
- Enables the transfer of acetyl and acyl groups in many anabolic and catabolic reactions
- Is a component of acyl carrier protein, which functions in fatty acid synthesis
How much pantothenic acid per day
These are population reference values from the NIH and the Dietary Reference Intakes. They are targets for healthy people, not personal prescriptions. The last column is the Tolerable Upper Intake Level, the most you should get from all sources combined.
| Life stage | Daily target | Type | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infants 0-6 months | 1.7 mg | AI | not established |
| Infants 7-12 months | 1.8 mg | AI | not established |
| Children 1-3 years | 2 mg | AI | not established |
| Children 4-8 years | 3 mg | AI | not established |
| Children 9-13 years | 4 mg | AI | not established |
| Teens 14-18 years (male and female) | 5 mg | AI | not established |
| Adults 19+ years (male and female) | 5 mg | AI | not established |
| Pregnancy (14-50 years) | 6 mg | AI | not established |
| Lactation (14-50 years) | 7 mg | AI | not established |
Deficiency and who is at risk
Pantothenic acid deficiency is very rare and has mainly been documented in people with severe malnutrition or those given a metabolic antagonist of the vitamin. Reported signs include numbness and burning of the hands and feet, headache, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, disturbed sleep, and gastrointestinal disturbances with loss of appetite. Deficiency usually occurs alongside deficiencies of other nutrients, which makes B5-specific effects hard to isolate.
Groups more likely to fall short
- People with severe malnutrition
- People with a pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) gene mutation causing pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN)
- People taking a pantothenic acid metabolic antagonist
Who may need more
- Most people in the United States get adequate amounts from a typical mixed diet (about 6 mg/day), so supplements are generally unnecessary
- People with severe malnutrition may be at risk of inadequacy
- People with a PANK2 mutation (PKAN) have altered pantothenate metabolism, though benefit of supplementation is unproven
Food sources
Beef liver (8.3 mg per 3 oz), fortified breakfast cereals (5 mg per serving), shiitake mushrooms (2.6 mg per 1/2 cup), sunflower seeds (2.4 mg per 1/4 cup), chicken breast (1.3 mg per 3 oz), tuna (1.2 mg per 3 oz), avocado (1.0 mg per half), and milk (0.9 mg per cup). Whole grains, organ meats, and many vegetables are also good sources. Food processing can cause losses of 20 percent to almost 80 percent, and the body absorbs roughly 40 to 61 percent (about half) of pantothenic acid from foods.
Forms and absorption
Supplements provide pantothenic acid alone, in B-complex products, and in multivitamin/multimineral products. Common forms are calcium pantothenate and pantethine (a dimeric form of pantetheine). No studies have compared the relative bioavailability of these different forms. Amounts typically range from about 10 mg in multivitamin/multimineral products up to 1,000 mg in B-complex or standalone pantothenic acid supplements.
Safety, excess and interactions
Pantothenic acid is generally considered safe. No Tolerable Upper Intake Level has been set because human toxicity has not been reported, even at high intakes. Very large doses (around 10 g/day) may cause mild diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset. As with any supplement, discuss use with a health care provider, especially during pregnancy, lactation, or if managing a health condition.
Too much
The Food and Nutrition Board could not set a Tolerable Upper Intake Level because there are no reports of pantothenic acid toxicity in humans at high intakes. Some people taking very large doses (for example about 10 g/day) develop mild diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress, though the mechanism is unknown.
Interactions to know
- ODS states that pantothenic acid is not known to have any clinically relevant interactions with medications.
How status is measured
Status is not routinely measured in healthy people. When needed, urinary pantothenic acid is the most reliable indicator because of its close relationship to dietary intake; excretion below 1 mg/day suggests deficiency (typical American diet gives about 2.6 mg/day). Whole-blood concentration (normal range 1.6 to 2.7 micromol/L) also correlates with intake, with values below 1 micromol/L considered low. Plasma levels do not correlate well with intake or status.
What the evidence supports
We grade the strength of evidence behind each common reason people take pantothenic acid, mirroring how the NIH describes it.
Well-established biochemical role of the vitamin in normal human physiology, per ODS and the DRI report.
ODS notes pantothenic acid itself does not appear to lower lipids; the effect is attributed to pantethine, a related form, not to pantothenic acid.
Based on mostly small clinical trials; ODS says additional research is needed to confirm effects independent of diet and to determine mechanisms. This is not a claim for pantothenic acid itself.
ODS reports the benefit is not known; only anecdotal reports suggest symptom reduction in some atypical PKAN cases.
Sources
- S1.gov verifiedNIH Office of Dietary SupplementsPantothenic Acid - Health Professional Fact Sheetods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProf
- S2.gov verifiedNIH Office of Dietary SupplementsPantothenic Acid - Consumer Fact Sheetods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-Consumer/
- S3.gov verifiedInstitute of Medicine (National Academies), Food and Nutrition BoardDietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998)nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6015/
Every figure on this page is quoted from the sources above. Science changes; we re-check and re-date pages as authorities update their guidance.