Pantothenic Acid (B5)

pantothenic acid · vitamin B5 · pantothenate · calcium pantothenate · dexpanthenol

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Hyperlipidemia¹ Diffuse hair thinning² Pantothenic acid deficiency¹	Pregnancy or nursing³ Under age 18³ Prior calcium pantothenate allergy^{1, 4}

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is an essential water-soluble vitamin and the precursor of coenzyme A, which drives fatty acid synthesis and breakdown¹. Supplementation is used for lipid lowering through its dimeric form pantethine¹, and in combination products for diffuse hair thinning. Deficiency is rare outside severe malnutrition, so users are mostly adults seeking these targeted effects rather than repletion¹.

Lipid evidence rests on pantethine: a review of small trials found lower triglycerides and cholesterol, while pantothenic acid itself does not appear to share the effect¹. In an open-label study, a combination of millet extract, pantothenic acid, cystine, and biotin was associated with reduced hair loss². A 2024 pilot study in pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration found that pantothenate and pantethine within a supplement combination improved or stabilized symptoms alongside standard medication⁵. No controlled trial has tested it. Calcium pantothenate and pantethine are the common supplement forms, with no bioavailability comparison; see Form comparison¹.

Label warnings for pregnancy and under 18 are blanket supplement precautions, since the Office of Dietary Supplements sets higher adequate intakes in pregnancy and lactation¹. That source finds no clinically relevant medication interactions¹, and very large doses cause diarrhea¹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

50 sources, 39 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources