You want to about vitamin B5? In that case you are at the right address! Because here you will now find all the essential information about the Water soluble vitamin, which also Pantothenic acid is called.
First, I'll give you a brief fact sheet with the basic information. This is followed by intake, daily requirements, physiological benefits, toxicity and deficiency risk, and lots of practical tips on good B5 sources and supplements. I also answer whether vegans need to pay attention to anything specific in their pantothenic acid supply towards the end of the article.
Here is in advance a short Table of contents for you:
Notice: This article is not a substitute for medical advice, but merely provides general information about pantothenic acid. Please consult your doctor if you feel unwell or want to prevent health problems with medical care.
Vitamin B5 PROFILE AT A GLANCE
Assignment: Water soluble vitamins
Synonyms: Pantothenic acid
Important for: Component of coenzyme A and thus many metabolic processes
Daily requirement: 5-6 mg/day from the age of 14.1,2,3
Overdose: No maximum supply, oversupply hardly possible2,4,5
Deficiency symptoms: including disorders of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous tissue
Food: Whole grain products, legumes, yeast flakes, peanuts
Nutritional supplement: mostly as vitamin B complex
How do you absorb pantothenic acid?
As already mentioned, these are Pantothenic acid around a Water soluble vitamin. It is also very heat sensitiveso that around 30 percent of the vitamin is lost during heating. The Bioavailability of the vitamin is about 50 percent. Due to the sensitivity to heat, it is advisable to consume part of the diet raw.
How much vitamin B5 is good for the body?
So far, rather little is known about the exact pantothenic acid requirement of the body. Consequently, further research and studies will probably provide more precise statements in the future than is the case today. Nevertheless, various nutrition societies have issued recommendations that are mainly based on estimates and assumptions.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Office of Dietary Supplements recommend a daily pantothenic acid intake of 5 mg for adults.2,3
In addition, the recommendations of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) are listed. A distinction is made according to age, so that recommendations can also be made for Children and teenagers are included2:
| Age | Recommendation | |
| 1 to under 7 years | 4 | |
| 7 to under 13 years | 5 | |
| from 14 years and older | 6 |
Regarding the demand in Pregnancy and lactation the listed nutrition societies disagree. The DGE does not recommend an increase in intake in both phases of life.1 The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends an increased intake of 6 and 7 mg per day, respectively, during pregnancy and lactation.2 The EFSA on the other hand, does not recommend an increase during pregnancy, although an increase to 7 mg is recommended during lactation.3
Notice: Reference values for nutrient intake from nutrition societies are mostly based on estimates to avoid deficiency symptoms, rather than aiming for health optimization. The reference values therefore serve - as always - only as a rough guide.
What do we need vitamin B5 for?
The main function of pantothenic acid lies in the Coenzyme A formationfor which pantothenic acid is needed as a building material. Coenzyme A is an important metabolic enzyme that is needed in many different metabolic processes. Thus, vitamin B5 has an effect, for example, on the Metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids or fats, respectively.
The Functions of vitamin B5 short and to the point:
- Building material for coenzyme A
- Influence on many metabolic processes
Is too much vitamin B5 toxic?
The toxicity of pantothenic acid can be classified as extremely low, so that even at very high dosages of up to 5 g so about that per day No side effects occurred.5 This corresponds approximately to the Thousandfold of the recommended daily intake. Consequently, none of the nutrition societies cited above has defined an intake limit for vitamin B5.1,2,4
Can a B5 deficiency occur?
A deficiency of pantothenic acid is basically rather unlikely. Indeed, the name pantothenic acid comes from the Greek and pantos means "from everywhere" because almost every food contains pantothenic acid. Consequently, only people with a severe malnutrition or deficiency are at risk of B5 deficiency.2
Deficiency symptoms have so far only been identified in World War II prisoners of war or under laboratory conditions. Symptoms can include disorders of the skin, nerves, and gastrointestinal tract, such as numb and burning feet, headaches, and vomiting.
What are the best sources of vitamin B5?
Particularly rich in pantothenic acid are foods from the groups of the Whole grains and legumes. Especially when buying flour, it is worthwhile to take the whole grain variety. While a type 1700 wholemeal flour contains 1.2 mg of pantothenic acid per 100 grams, a type 405 wheat flour contains only 0.21 mg.
In the following list you will find foods that contain particularly high levels of vitamin B5:
- Yeast flakes (5 mg per 100 gram)
- Matcha (3.7 mg per 100 gram)
- Peanuts (2.7 mg per 100 gram)
- Wheat bran (2.5 mg per 100 gram)
- Peas, mung beans (1.9 mg per 100 gram)
- Soybeans (1.8 mg per 100 gram)
- Natural rice (1.7 mg per 100 gram)
- Lenses (1.5 mg per 100 gram)
- Buckwheat (1.2 mg per 100 gram)
Tip: Since pantothenic acid is sensitive to heat, it is a good idea to use the Raw food share in the diet to increase. Suitable for this purpose Sproutsbecause they are very rich in nutrients and can be eaten raw. Mung beans, lentils or Buckwheat you can sprout excellent and then mix in salads or other dishes.
Do you get enough vitamin B5 on a plant-based diet?
In a nutshell: yes. There are so many good plant sources of pantothenic acid that deficiency on a vegan diet is almost impossible. Therefore the DGE Vitamin B5 in vegan diet as not potentially critical nutrient classified.6
Are there reasons for B5 supplementation?
Due to the almost non-existent risk of suffering a deficiency, supplementing vitamin B5 seems to be basically rather not necessary. However, one study suggested that high doses of pantothenic acid improve blood lipid levels in patients with elevated cholesterol, lipoprotein and triglyceride levels.7 So for some people, supplementation may make sense after all.
Pantothenic acid is usually found in vitamin B complexes, which supply you with several vitamins from the B complex. Such a multi-nutrient preparation can be quite useful, because the B vitamins work closely together and you are thus optimally supplied.
A recommended one, vegan vitamin B complex you get here*.
Pantothenic acid FAQ: The most frequently asked questions
What does pantothenic acid do?
The body needs vitamin B5 to produce coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is an enzyme that affects various metabolic activities such as the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Is too much pantothenic acid harmful?
Pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 has an extremely low toxicity. Therefore, even extremely high intakes of up to 5 g are harmless.
Can a B5 deficiency occur?
Since vitamin B5 is contained in a great many foods, it is very unlikely to suffer a deficiency of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid.
What has a lot of vitamin B5?
You can find a particularly high amount of B5 in yeast flakes, matcha powder and peanuts. Other good sources are various lentils, peas, beans and whole grain products.
How much mg of vitamin B5 a day?
Estimates from nutrition societies range from 5 to 6 mg of vitamin B5 per day for adults.
Always well supplied with vitamin B5!
The vast majority of people are affected by a balanced, plant-based diet sufficiently supplied with vitamin B5. If you Raw food well, I always recommend increasing the proportion of foods eaten raw, which also makes sense for the B5 supply. Especially germinated legumes and whole grain products are excellent sources of nutrients.
Besides diet, there are many other ways to do your health a favor Barefoot running, cold showers and more Time outside in nature for example. If you feel like it, you can try out one or the other for a few weeks and experience how your Energy level improved in everyday life.
If you want to know even more about vitamin B5, feel free to leave me a question as a comment.
All the best,
P.S.: If you would like to read on now, then take a look at our Nutrient database. There are more articles about ingredients, for example also about Vitamin B2 or Vitamin B12. Enjoy reading!
References:
1 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.: Pantothenic acid, https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/pantothensaeure/?L=0 [10.09.2021].
2 National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements: Pantothenic Acid. Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProfessional/. [10.09.2021]
3 European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary reference values for pantothenic acid, https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3581 [10.09.2021].
4 European Food Safety Authority: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for Vitamins and Minerals, https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/efsa_rep/blobserver_assets/ndatolerableuil.pdf. [10.09.2021]
5 H. K. Biesalski, P. Grimm, S. Nowitzki-Grimm (2017): Pocket atlas of nutrition. Stuttgart, New York: Georg Thieme Verlag, DOI: 10.1055/b-005-143652.
6 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.: Supplement to the position of the German Nutrition Society with regard to population groups with special nutritional needs, https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/dge-position/vegane-ernaehrung/?L=0 [10.09.2021].
7 J. A. Rumberger, et al. (2014): Pantethine, a derivative of vitamin B(5) used as a nutritional supplement, favorably alters low-density lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism in low- to moderate-cardiovascular risk North American subjects: a triple-blinded placebo and diet-controlled investigation. Online: https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC3942300. [10.09.2021]
