Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in various metabolic functions within the body. Here are some key points about pantothenic acid:

1. Role in Metabolism: Pantothenic acid is essential for making coenzyme A (CoA), which is involved in the synthesis and degradation of fatty acids and the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins¹².

2. Sources: It is found in a wide variety of foods, including eggs, milk, vegetables, beef, chicken, whole grains, avocados, legumes, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. Most foods of animal and plant origin contain pantothenic acid³⁴.

3. Recommended Intake: The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults is 5 mg per day. This amount increases to 6 mg during pregnancy and 7 mg during lactation⁴.

4. Deficiency: Deficiency of pantothenic acid is rare and usually occurs only in cases of severe malnutrition. Symptoms of deficiency can include fatigue, headaches, nausea, and muscle cramps⁵⁶.

5. Safety: There is no established Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for pantothenic acid, as no toxic level has been observed from high intakes. It is generally considered safe³⁷.

For more detailed information, you can refer to sources such as the NCBI Bookshelf and Harvard's Nutrition Source.

Footnotes

1. NCBI Bookshelf, Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) ↩

2. Harvard's Nutrition Source, Pantothenic Acid ↩

3. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute, Pantothenic Acid ↩ ↩²

4. Office of Dietary Supplements, Pantothenic Acid ↩ ↩²

5. StatPearls, Pantothenic Acid ↩

6. Pantothenic acid – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 ↩

7. Mayo Clinic, Pantothenic Acid (Oral Route) ↩