Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): The Evidence, Food Sources, and Supplement Guidance

Quick answer

Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin your body uses to turn food into energy and to make fatty acids, hormones, and red blood cells. Adults need about 5 mg a day, and it is found in almost every food, so deficiency from diet is virtually unheard of. Supplements are considered safe even at high doses, but there is little evidence they add benefits for most people. Food is the reliable source, and a varied diet covers the need without any effort.

Does anyone need vitamin B5 supplements?

Illustration of everyday foods rich in vitamin B5 including eggs, chicken, whole grains, avocado, mushrooms and milk beside an energy icon — Illustration: vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) helps turn food into energy and is found in everyday foods such as eggs, chicken, whole grains, avocado, mushrooms and milk.

The short answer is no for almost everyone. Pantothenic acid takes its name from the Greek word for “everywhere,” because it shows up in all types of food, including meat, grains, vegetables, and dairy. That is why genuine deficiency is essentially never seen in people eating a normal diet.

The nuance: even though supplements are usually unnecessary, they are not harmful at high doses, so the question is not safety but whether they do anything. For most people, they do not add measurable benefit.

What vitamin B5 does

Coenzyme A: pantothenic acid is a building block of coenzyme A, a molecule central to turning food into energy.
Fat metabolism: it helps the body make and break down fatty acids.
Hormones and neurotransmitters: it supports the synthesis of molecules including steroid hormones and acetylcholine.
Hemoglobin: it is involved in producing the heme part of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in blood.
Metabolism wide and deep: because coenzyme A is used in so many reactions, pantothenic acid touches carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism at once.

The practical point: pantothenic acid is an energy and metabolism vitamin with a broad but quiet role, and the body needs only a small amount.

How much you need and where to get it

Illustration of a plate of vitamin B5 food sources: meat and eggs, whole grains, mushrooms and avocado, and dairy — Illustration: vitamin B5 food sources include meat and eggs, whole grains, mushrooms, avocado and dairy.

Adequate intake (AI): 5 mg a day for adult men and women.
Pregnancy: 6 mg. Breastfeeding: 7 mg.
Upper limit: none established, because adverse effects from excess are not seen.
Food sources: chicken, beef, organ meats such as liver, eggs, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, avocado, potatoes, broccoli, milk, and peanuts.
Absorption note: the body absorbs pantothenic acid from food efficiently, and food also supplies it in a form the body can use.

Because so many foods contain it, hitting 5 mg a day happens automatically with normal eating, without tracking or supplements.

Deficiency and what it looks like

Illustration comparing a restricted diet with a full varied plate of food for vitamin B5 — Illustration: vitamin B5 deficiency is virtually unheard of on a normal diet, because the vitamin is present in almost all foods.

Spontaneous deficiency is virtually unheard of in people eating a normal diet, because pantothenic acid is so widely available.
It has been produced experimentally in people given a diet low in pantothenic acid along with a compound that blocks it. Symptoms in those experiments included burning and numbness of the hands and feet, headache, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, sleep problems, stomach pain, nausea, and poor muscle coordination.
These symptoms overlap with many other conditions, which is why they are not a reliable sign of low vitamin B5 on their own.
People with severe malnutrition or on long-term intravenous nutrition without adequate pantothenic acid are the groups where low intake is most plausible, and in those settings it is a medical matter.

If you have persistent burning or numbness in the hands and feet, that is a reason to see a doctor rather than to guess at a vitamin deficiency, because those symptoms have several possible causes.

Supplements and safety

Illustration of a vitamin B5 scale from food being enough, to supplements being optional, to medical care — Illustration: food covers vitamin B5 needs, supplements are optional and safe, and symptoms such as tingling feet need medical evaluation.

No upper limit: pantothenic acid has no established tolerable upper intake level, and it is considered safe at the doses used in supplements.
Common dose forms: it appears in B-complex and multivitamins and as stand-alone supplements, often as calcium pantothenate or pantethine.
Claims: supplements are marketed for acne, hair and skin health, wound healing, and cholesterol, but the evidence for these uses is limited and not consistent. Pantethine has been studied for cholesterol with mixed results.
Red flags: burning feet, numbness, or tingling should be evaluated by a doctor. These symptoms can have several causes, and a supplement is not the answer before a diagnosis.

The honest position: get vitamin B5 from food, treat supplements as optional, and do not expect them to fix problems that need a medical workup.

FAQ

What is vitamin B5 good for?

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) helps turn food into energy, supports fat metabolism, and contributes to making hormones, neurotransmitters, and hemoglobin. It is part of coenzyme A, which is used in many reactions.

How much vitamin B5 do I need per day?

About 5 mg a day for adults, with 6 mg during pregnancy and 7 mg while breastfeeding. There is no established upper limit.

Which foods have vitamin B5?

Almost all foods. Chicken, beef, liver, eggs, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, avocado, potatoes, broccoli, milk, and peanuts are good examples.

Can you be deficient in vitamin B5?

Deficiency from a normal diet is virtually unheard of, because the vitamin is in so many foods. It has mainly been studied in experimental settings and in severe malnutrition or long-term intravenous nutrition.

Are vitamin B5 supplements safe?

Yes, they are considered safe even at high doses, and there is no upper limit. The bigger issue is that they are usually unnecessary, and the evidence for uses such as acne or hair health is limited.

Sources

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Pantothenic Acid, Health Professional Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProfessional/
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Pantothenic Acid, Consumer Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-Consumer/
StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf): Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563233/
Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University: Pantothenic Acid. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/pantothenic-acid

Disclaimer

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your health.

Reviewed by the VI Editorial Team. Last reviewed: September 24, 2026