Graded against 178,763 supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, NIH DSLD
Pantothenic Acid
VitaminLast updated
AVELOR SUMMARY
Vitamin B5 is a component of coenzyme A (CoA), involved in >100 metabolic reactions including fatty acid synthesis, energy production, and steroid hormone synthesis.
Despite its central metabolic role, deficiency is extremely rare (it's found in virtually all foods, "pantothenic" literally means "from everywhere" in Greek).
Our research shows the primary supplemental use is for acne (dexpanthenol/pantethine at high doses) with limited clinical evidence.
The most compelling application is pantethine (300mg 3x/day) for cholesterol reduction, a meta-analysis found it lowered LDL by 10% and triglycerides by 14%.
WHAT IT DOES
Pantothenic acid is converted to coenzyme A (CoA), which is essential for the citric acid cycle (energy production), fatty acid synthesis/oxidation, cholesterol synthesis, steroid hormone synthesis, and acetylation reactions. Pantethine, the active form used in lipid studies, is the disulfide form of pantetheine (CoA precursor). It inhibits HMG-CoA reductase (same target as statins, but much milder) and inhibits fatty acid synthase, reducing hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride production. For acne, the high-dose mechanism is thought to involve enhanced CoA-dependent fatty acid metabolism in sebaceous glands, reducing sebum production.
OPTIMAL DOSAGE
Look for: Pantethine for lipid management (not pantothenic acid); calcium pantothenate for general B5; dose 300mg pantethine per capsule; B-complex for general supplementation
Avoid: High-dose standalone B5 for acne without physician guidance (GI side effects); products marketed for "adrenal fatigue" at premium prices (RDA dose is sufficient for adrenal cofactor function)
Independently graded against 178,763 indexed supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, and NIH DSLD | Last updated:
Not medical advice. Based on published clinical research and systematic reviews.