Rankings / Essentials — Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Essentials · Vitamin
Tier B+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) as B+ (7.5/10) based on strong evidence, low benefit magnitude, and a low-risk safety profile.
Deficiency essentially does not occur outside of starvation.
Typical use: 5 mg/day adequate intake; 600-900 mg/day pantethine for lipids; 1-10 g/day pantothenic acid for acne (off-label, weak… — OTC.
What this is
Deficiency essentially does not occur outside of starvation. Pantethine (the disulfide form) has the only mildly interesting clinical data — modest LDL/triglyceride reduction in small trials. The acne mega-dose protocol is internet folklore with thin evidence.
Mechanism
Precursor to coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein — required for fatty acid synthesis/oxidation, TCA cycle, steroid and acetylcholine synthesis
Dose & route
5 mg/day adequate intake; 600-900 mg/day pantethine for lipids; 1-10 g/day pantothenic acid for acne (off-label, weak data)
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24341803/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24804612/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProfessional/
Links go to the source. If a link is dead or you want something re-checked, let me know.
Common questions
- Does Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) work?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) as Strong and the benefit magnitude as low, producing an overall grade of B+ (7.5/10). Deficiency essentially does not occur outside of starvation.
- Is Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) safe?
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) has a low risk profile in published human data. Legal status: OTC. This is not medical advice — see the disclaimer.
- What is the typical dose for Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)?
- 5 mg/day adequate intake; 600-900 mg/day pantethine for lipids; 1-10 g/day pantothenic acid for acne (off-label, weak data)
- How does Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) work?
- Precursor to coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein — required for fatty acid synthesis/oxidation, TCA cycle, steroid and acetylcholine synthesis
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.