Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): Roles, Food Sources and Safety
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): what it does, why deficiency is rare, food sources, adequate intake levels by country, safety, and the lack of proven benefits from supplements.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
What is Vitamin B5 good for?
What the body uses it for, and how strong the evidence is. A normal job in the body is not proof that extra supplements add benefit; each card says which.
Releasing energy from food
Established rolePantothenic acid helps the body release energy from the food you eat.
Supplements: Normal intake covers this role. We found no good evidence that supplements raise energy in people who are not deficient.
Breaking down and using food (metabolism)
Established roleThe vitamin is needed for the body's metabolism, the way food is broken down and used.
Supplements: Supplements are not shown to improve metabolism when intake is adequate.
Making fatty acids
Established roleThe body needs pantothenic acid to make fatty acids.
Supplements: Deficiency is very rare; no evidence of extra benefit from supplements.
Growth
Established rolePantothenic acid is needed for normal growth.
Supplements: Supplements are not shown to add benefit when the diet is adequate.
Making hormones and cholesterol
Established roleThe body uses pantothenic acid to make some hormones and cholesterol.
Supplements: This is a normal body role. We could not verify that supplements change hormone or cholesterol levels.
Nerve sensation (shown when deficient)
Deficiency linkA very rare lack of pantothenic acid can cause tingling in the feet.
Supplements: Only relevant to the rare deficiency; tingling has many other causes.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Body systems (4)
- Metabolism & WeightEstablished role
Pantothenic acid helps the body break down and use food and release energy from it. This is a normal role of the vitamin, not a weight-loss effect.
- Digestive SystemDocumented risk
Large doses do not cause symptoms except possibly diarrhea.
- Endocrine SystemEstablished role
Pantothenic acid plays a part in making hormones. Sources do not show that extra supplements change hormone levels.
- Nervous SystemDeficiency link
A lack of pantothenic acid is very rare, but it can cause tingling in the feet. Tingling has many causes, so it is not a way to diagnose deficiency.
Body parts (2)
- CellsEstablished role
Pantothenic acid is needed for growth and for the way cells break down and use food.
- Nervous SystemDeficiency link
Deficiency, which is very rare, can cause tingling in the feet.
Functional actions (1)
- Energy ProductionEstablished role
The vitamin helps the body release energy from food. Extra amounts are not shown to give more energy when intake is adequate.
Root causes (1)
- Nutrient DeficiencyDeficiency link
Deficiency is very rare but can cause tingling in the feet; almost all foods contain some pantothenic acid.
Habits (1)
- Balanced NutritionEstablished role
Almost all vegetables, wholegrain foods and meats contain pantothenic acid, so a varied diet usually provides enough. Food processing can cause significant losses.
Conditions & symptoms (2)
- DiarrheaDocumented risk
Large doses may possibly cause diarrhea.
- ParesthesiaDeficiency link
Tingling in the feet is the sign MedlinePlus links to a rare lack of pantothenic acid. It has many other causes.
Documented risks and interactions (1)
- Large doses and the digestive system. Large doses cause no symptoms apart from possibly diarrhea.
Overview
Pantothenic acid is vitamin B5. The NHS says it has several functions, such as helping the body release energy from food. [1] MedlinePlus says pantothenic acid and biotin are needed for growth, help the body break down and use food, and are both required for making fatty acids. Pantothenic acid also plays a role in making hormones and cholesterol. [2] The NHS says it is found in varying amounts in almost all vegetables, wholegrain foods and meats. [1]Deficiency is very rare. MedlinePlus says a lack of pantothenic acid is very rare and can cause a tingling feeling in the feet. [2] For most people the useful question is not "should I take B5?" but "am I eating a varied diet?"
Evidence labels used here: established nutritional role, insufficient evidence and marketing claim. "Proper evidence not found" means we searched the sources named and found nothing usable.
Food sources
The NHS says pantothenic acid is found in varying amounts in almost all vegetables, wholegrain foods and meats, with chicken, beef, liver and kidneys (avoid liver if pregnant), eggs, mushrooms and avocado as good sources, plus fortified breakfast cereals. [1] MedlinePlus adds legumes and lentils, milk, broccoli, kale and other cabbage-family vegetables, white and sweet potatoes, whole-grain cereals and yeast, and notes that food processing can cause a significant loss. [2] See foods high in biotin, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and pantothenic acid and food-first nutrition.Official intake levels
Published levels for the groups named, not personal advice. For pantothenic acid most bodies give an Adequate Intake (AI), which is used when evidence is not enough to set an RDA. See RDA, AI, DV and UL.| Body, country and year | Group | Level for pantothenic acid |
|---|---|---|
| NHS, UK, page reviewed 2020 | Adults | No amount has been set in the UK [1] |
| US Dietary Reference Intakes, as listed by MedlinePlus (review 2025) | Ages 14 and older / pregnancy / lactation | AI 5 mg / 6 mg / 7 mg a day [2] |
| Health Canada, table dated 2025 | Adults 19 to 30 | AI 5 mg a day; no upper level set because data are insufficient [3] |
| EFSA, EU, overview version 2025 | All groups | No adequate data to derive a tolerable upper level [4] |
| Daily Value on US labels (FDA, 2024) | Label reference only | 5 mg [5] |
No upper level does not mean any amount is safe. It means the data were not enough to set one. [3]
Deficiency
Deficiency in people eating a normal diet is very rare. [2] Proper evidence not found on which groups are at risk: the NHS and MedlinePlus pages do not list any, and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements pages were blocked to us. Do not diagnose deficiency from tingling feet or tiredness, which have many causes; see a clinician. See vitamin deficiency symptoms.What research shows for specific uses
Proper evidence not found for benefits of pantothenic acid supplements in adequately nourished people. We read the NHS and MedlinePlus pages, and searched PubMed for pantothenic acid supplementation systematic reviews and for pantethine (a related compound MedlinePlus lists under alternative names) lipid meta-analyses. [2] The searches returned no review testing pantothenic acid supplements for hair, skin, acne, cholesterol or energy that we could read in full. Claims for those uses are marketing claims here.| Question | What we found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Role in energy and fat metabolism | Described by the NHS and MedlinePlus as a function of the vitamin. [1][2] | Established nutritional role |
| Supplements for hair, skin, stress or cholesterol | Proper evidence not found | Marketing claim |
Safety and precautions
- Upper limits: the NHS says there is not enough evidence about high daily doses and that 200 mg or less a day of pantothenic acid in supplements is unlikely to cause harm (UK advice). [1]
- Side effects: MedlinePlus says large doses do not cause symptoms other than possibly diarrhea. [2]
- Medicines: Proper evidence not found in the pages we could read. Check medication interactions and ask a pharmacist.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the US AI is higher (6 mg and 7 mg). [2] The NHS advises avoiding liver in pregnancy. [1] Ask your care team before supplements.
- Children, older adults, kidney and liver conditions, surgery: Proper evidence not found specific to pantothenic acid. See vitamins for children and teenagers, vitamins and kidney or liver disease and vitamins before surgery.
- Combination products: B-complex and multivitamin products stack several B vitamins; check the label. See B-complex products and quality testing and certifications.
Testing
Proper evidence not found: none of the pages we read describes a routine blood test for pantothenic acid. See deficiency testing and its limits.Related
All vitamins · Understanding vitamins · BiotinFrequently asked questions
Is pantothenic acid deficiency common?
No. MedlinePlus calls it very rare. [2]
What foods contain pantothenic acid?
Almost all plant and animal foods contain some; good sources include chicken, beef, eggs, mushrooms, avocado and legumes. [1][2]
How much pantothenic acid do adults need?
The US sets an Adequate Intake of 5 mg a day for ages 14 and older; the UK has not set an amount. [2][1]
Can pantothenic acid cause side effects?
MedlinePlus says large doses do not cause symptoms apart from possibly diarrhea. [2]
Does pantothenic acid help hair or skin?
Proper evidence not found in the sources we searched, so treat such claims as marketing.
References
- NHS (UK). B vitamins and folic acid. Page last reviewed 3 August 2020. Read 2026-10-23.
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (US National Library of Medicine). Pantothenic acid and biotin. Review date 1/21/2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- Health Canada. Dietary reference intakes tables: Reference values for vitamins. Page dated 2025-11-19. Read 2026-10-23 through a web-fetch tool, which returned the tables as a text summary; direct download was blocked.
- European Food Safety Authority. Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA NDA Panel, version 1, August 2025. Read 2026-10-23 (text extracted from the PDF; table layout reconstructed).
- US Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Content current as of 03/05/2024. Read 2026-10-23.