Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
Needed to make energy and to synthesise fats and hormones.
What it does
Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is the building block of coenzyme A, one of the most important helper molecules in the whole of metabolism. Coenzyme A sits at the crossroads where fats, carbohydrates and proteins are all broken down for energy, and it is equally essential for building new fatty acids and other lipids. Almost every cell uses it constantly.
Because coenzyme A is so central, vitamin B5 is involved in making a remarkably wide range of substances — including certain hormones, cholesterol (the raw material for steroid hormones and bile) and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which nerves use to signal to muscles. It also plays a part in producing haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells.
True deficiency is very rare because pantothenic acid is found in a wide variety of foods — the name comes from the Greek for "from everywhere". Good sources include meat, eggs, wholegrains, avocado and many vegetables. Some is lost in food processing, but a normal, varied diet supplies plenty, and the body does not need large amounts at any one time.
Recommended intake (RDA)
Adults: ~5 mg/day.
Key roles at a glance
- Energy metabolism
- Hormone and cholesterol synthesis
- Healthy skin
Food sources
- Chicken and beef
- Eggs
- Whole grains
- Avocado
- Mushrooms
If you go without
- Rare — fatigue, irritability, tingling hands and feet
Too much
- Very high doses may cause mild diarrhoea