Vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is the B vitamin the body uses to make coenzyme A, the molecule at the center of fat and energy metabolism. Adults need about 5 mg a day, and almost every food has some.
5 mga day for adults, adequate intake (US)
6 mg on EU food labels (NRV), the figure behind label percentages
Upper limit · none set; no harm seen at usual doses
- Most per 100 g 6.2mg Chicken liver
- The name From everywhere Greek pantothen
- Main sources Liver, eggs, meat then mushrooms, seeds and broccoli
- Its job Coenzyme A for fat and energy metabolism
Daily amount: the US adequate intake for adults aged 19 and over (NIH). Food figures per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central, only for library foods measured for pantothenic acid.
Foods High in Vitamin B5
Ranked per 100 g, with what a usual portion gives, limited to 3 foods per category. Foods with a Caltide calorie page link to it.
C
Chicken liver
7 mg in 4 oz
6.2mg / 100 g
L
Lamb liver
1.7 mg in 1 oz
6.1mg / 100 g
Y
Yeast
4.9mg / 100 g
C
Chicken heart
2.6mg / 100 g
T
Turkey egg
1.5 mg in 1 egg
1.9mg / 100 g
D
Duck egg
1.3 mg in 1 egg
1.9mg / 100 g
G
Goose egg
2.5 mg in 1 egg
1.8mg / 100 g
T
Trout (rainbow)
1.3 mg in 1 fillet
1.7mg / 100 g
D
Duck
2.2 mg in 1 unit
1.6mg / 100 g
B
Black-eyed peas
1.5mg / 100 g
V
Veal
0.37 mg in 1 oz
1.3mg / 100 g
P
Plaice
1.3mg / 100 g
What Is Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)?
Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin found in plants, animals and microbes alike, which is why it was named after the Greek pantothen, from everywhere. In food, most of it is already bound up in coenzyme A or in a protein called acyl carrier protein, and the gut frees it before absorbing it.
Pantothenic Acid and Coenzyme A
Coenzyme A carries the two-carbon pieces that fat, sugar and protein are broken into as they are burned for energy, and it is a starting point for building fatty acids, cholesterol and some hormones. Acyl carrier protein, the other form, does the assembly work when the body makes fat.
Pantothenic Acid in an Egg, a Beef Patty, and Broccoli
Because pantothenic acid is spread thin across so many foods, no single portion supplies much of it. In the Caltide food library one boiled egg (50 g) gives about 0.7 mg, a cooked beef patty (85 g) about 0.7 mg, and a cup of raw broccoli (76 g) about 0.5 mg. Together that is under half of the 5 mg adults need; the rest comes from everything else on the plate.
Foods Missing From the Pantothenic Acid Ranking
The NIH lists beef liver, shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds, chicken, tuna and avocado among the good sources. Some of these have no pantothenic acid figure in the Caltide food library yet, so they are missing from the ranking above. Read the list as the richest of the foods measured, not of all foods.
Why Pantothenic Acid Deficiency Is So Rare
A diet that supplies enough calories almost always supplies enough pantothenic acid. The clearest picture of what happens without it comes from prisoners of war in Asia during World War II, who developed numbness and painful burning in the feet that eased with the vitamin, and from volunteers fed diets built to lack it, who reported tiredness, irritability, poor sleep and stomach upset.
The groups the NIH names as at risk are people with severe malnutrition and people with a rare inherited disorder that blocks the first step in making coenzyme A, pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). Pantothenic acid works alongside biotin (B7) in fat metabolism and alongside riboflavin (B2) in releasing energy from food.
How Much Pantothenic Acid You Need
The same amount for men and women. It is an adequate intake, not an RDA, because there was not enough data to set one.
| Age | Per day |
|---|---|
| 1 - 3 years | 2mg |
| 4 - 8 years | 3mg |
| 9 - 13 years | 4mg |
| 14+ years | 5mg |
| Pregnancy | 6mg |
| Breastfeeding | 7mg |
Pantothenic Acid Supplements
Supplements are a source as well: most B-complex products and many multivitamins contain it, and it is sold on its own.
Pantothenic Acid Forms on Supplement Labels
- Calcium pantothenatethe usual form in multivitamins and B-complex products
- Pantethinea related form sold on its own; a few small trials suggest it may lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, but the evidence is too limited to be sure
What to Know About Pantothenic Acid Supplements
Since food covers the need for nearly everyone, a supplement mostly adds to an intake that is already enough. No interactions with medicines of clinical importance are known.
Pantothenic Acid in Caltide
- Logged automaticallyCaltide adds up the pantothenic acid in every food you log and shows it against the amount for your age and sex in the Nutrition tab. Foods without a figure for it add nothing, so the total can read low.
- Supplements count tooAdd your B-complex or multivitamin once with its pantothenic acid per tablet. Each day you tick it off, it counts toward your total.
Vitamin B5 Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources. Food amounts come from USDA FoodData Central.
Questions About Vitamin B5
Adults need about 5 mg a day: the US adequate intake and EFSA's both set 5 mg for adults, and the US figure rises to 6 mg in pregnancy and 7 mg while breastfeeding. EU food labels use 6 mg as their reference.
In the Caltide food library, chicken liver: 6.2 mg per 100 g. Lamb liver (6.1 mg) and Yeast (4.9 mg) come next. Many library foods have no figure for it yet, so the ranking is incomplete.
It is part of coenzyme A, which the body needs to break down fat, carbohydrate and protein for energy and to build fatty acids, cholesterol and some hormones.
No. It is in nearly every food, which is what its name says: pantothen is Greek for from everywhere. Deficiency is seen only with severe malnutrition or in research diets built to lack it.
No upper limit is set, because no harm has been seen at normal supplement doses. Very large amounts, around 10 g a day, may cause mild diarrhea and stomach upset.
A form of pantothenic acid sold as a supplement. A few small trials suggest it may lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides a little, but the evidence is too limited to be sure.
Yes. It is in most B-complex products and many multivitamins, usually as calcium pantothenate, and adds to what food gives.
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