pantothenic acid

Foods Richest in pantothenic acid

About pantothenic acid

Basic Description

Pantothenic acid (also known historically as vitamin B5) is among the most important of the B vitamins for the basic processes of life while also being one of the less likely nutrient deficiencies in the average U.S. diet.

One factor helping to prevent pantothenic acid deficiency is the U.S. diet is its common presence in so many different foods. In fact, the common presence of pantothenic acid in foods is referred to in the naming of this vitamin, since the word pantothen in Greek translates as “on all sides” or “from all “quarters.” Among our 100 core WHF, 99% contain some measurable amount of pantothenic acid! (Only one of our foods lacks pantothenic acid, and that food is olive oil. While olives themselves contain a small amount of this vitamin, this small amount is lost when the oil is pressed out of the olives since the oil is 100% fat and pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin.)

Without pantothenic acid, you would be unable to use fats, carbohydrates, or proteins as energy sources. You would also be unable to make hormones and your immune system would collapse. These are only some of the important functions that pantothenic acid has.

We list three excellent sources of pantothenic acid—cauliflower, crimini mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. We list eight very good sources and 38 good sources.

Role in Health Support

Energy Production

The most studied role of pantothenic acid in health support is its incorporation into a molecule called Coenzyme A (CoA). This molecule is arguably on the short list of the most important chemicals needed to sustain life. In fact, CoA is so important that one recent research group suggested that the origin of life could be traced back to the evolution of this chemical.

CoA occupies a central place in energy metabolism, acting to allow carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to be burned as fuel sources. Given this critical role, it is a very good thing that pantothenic acid is so ubiquitous in foods. We wouldn’t exist without it.

Fat Metabolism

In addition to breaking down fats as fuel, pantothenic acid—via the CoA molecule—is necessary for building fats for storage. You’ll also need CoA to build cholesterol in the body, which in turn acts as a building block for key hormones that guide metabolic processes. (While many public health organizations warn about risks related to excess presence of cholesterol in the body, a certain amount of cholesterol is critical for health since many types of cells require cholesterol in their membranes and cholesterol is also required for production of certain hormones and vitamin D production.)

While some readers may be concerned about extra fat storage, and might wonder if they could lower their risk of extra fat storage by somehow blocking pantothenic acid activity or deliberately making themselves deficient in pantothenic acid, we are not are of any research evidence showing this strategy to potentially effective, potentially safe, or potentially advisable in any way. We certainly wouldn’t recommend trying any personal experimenting of this kind.

Summary of Food Sources

It is probably easier for us to ask the question “What foods don’t contain pantothenic acid?” than it is for us to quickly discuss the most rich food sources. As described earlier, 99/100 WHF contain measurable amounts of this vitamin, and nearly half of our foods (49/100) provide pantothenic acid in good, very good, or excellent amounts. The vast majority of our Herbs & Spices also contain measurable amounts of this vitamin.

In our food rating system, all of our top 10 foods for pantothenic acid are vegetables. Included in this group are root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, leafy vegetables such as turnip greens, stems such as asparagus, and also mushrooms. Moving on from our top 10 to our top 25, however, we come across a wide diversity of food groups that provide pantothenic acid, including fruit, legumes, grains, fish, animal meats, eggs, and dairy foods. This diversity of food groups reflects the fact that pantothenic acid is truly pantothen, meaning “found in all quarters.”

Some of our nutrients are quite concentrated in specific foods. For these nutrients, it is sometimes a fun exercise to concentrate the daily requirements into a couple of foods or recipes as we do here in the niacin article. This is not as easy for pantothenic acid, however since the sources are much more spread throughout the diet.

Instead, as we build a daily diet for pantothenic acid nutrition, we should focus on the variety of foods this diet draws upon. Let’s start in the morning with Poached Eggs Over Spinach and Mushrooms and some papaya. At lunch, let’s go with Healthy Veggie Salad and some yogurt. At dinner, we’ll choose 15-Minute Asian Tuna. All three of these meals contain more than half our daily requirement for pantothenic acid.

This diet rich in pantothenic acid looks a lot like a microcosm of the WHF approach. We have rich and varied fruits and vegetables. We’ll also have a little bit of eggs, and a small amount of fish at dinner.

Nutrient Rating Chart

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

Read more background information and details of our rating system

WHF ranked as quality sources of
pantothenic acid

Food

Serving
Size

Cals

Amount
(mg)

DRI/DV
(%)

Nutrient
Density

World’s
Healthiest
Foods Rating

Mushrooms, Shiitake

0.50 cup

40.6

2.61

52

23.1

excellent

Mushrooms, Crimini

1 cup

15.8

1.08

22

24.5

excellent

Cauliflower

1 cup

28.5

0.63

13

8.0

excellent

Sweet Potato

1 cup

180.0

1.77

35

3.5

very good

Broccoli

1 cup

54.6

0.96

19

6.3

very good

Beet Greens

1 cup

38.9

0.47

9

4.4

very good

Asparagus

1 cup

39.6

0.40

8

3.6

very good

Turnip Greens

1 cup

28.8

0.39

8

4.9

very good

Bell Peppers

1 cup

28.5

0.29

6

3.7

very good

Cucumber

1 cup

15.6

0.27

5

6.2

very good

Celery

1 cup

16.2

0.25

5

5.6

very good

Avocado

1 cup

240.0

2.08

42

3.1

good

Lentils

1 cup

229.7

1.26

25

2.0

good

Dried Peas

1 cup

231.3

1.17

23

1.8

good

Chicken

4 oz

187.1

1.09

22

2.1

good

Turkey

4 oz

166.7

1.02

20

2.2

good

Yogurt

1 cup

149.4

0.95

19

2.3

good

Salmon

4 oz

157.6

0.92

18

2.1

good

Rye

0.33 cup

188.5

0.81

16

1.5

good

Beef

4 oz

175.0

0.77

15

1.6

good

Eggs

1 each

77.5

0.70

14

3.3

good

Potatoes

1 cup

160.9

0.65

13

1.5

good

Wheat

1 cup

151.1

0.63

13

1.5

good

Corn

1 each

73.9

0.61

12

3.0

good

Shrimp

4 oz

134.9

0.59

12

1.6

good

Papaya

1 medium

118.7

0.53

11

1.6

good

Winter Squash

1 cup

75.8

0.48

10

2.3

good

Cow’s milk

4 oz

74.4

0.46

9

2.2

good

Cod

4 oz

96.4

0.41

8

1.5

good

Collard Greens

1 cup

62.7

0.41

8

2.4

good

Raspberries

1 cup

64.0

0.40

8

2.3

good

Brussels Sprouts

1 cup

56.2

0.39

8

2.5

good

Grapefruit

0.50 medium

41.0

0.36

7

3.2

good

Pineapple

1 cup

82.5

0.35

7

1.5

good

Watermelon

1 cup

45.6

0.34

7

2.7

good

Carrots

1 cup

50.0

0.33

7

2.4

good

Oranges

1 medium

61.6

0.33

7

1.9

good

Cranberries

1 cup

46.0

0.29

6

2.3

good

Swiss Chard

1 cup

35.0

0.29

6

3.0

good

Spinach

1 cup

41.4

0.26

5

2.3

good

Summer Squash

1 cup

36.0

0.25

5

2.5

good

Cabbage

1 cup

43.5

0.23

5

1.9

good

Fennel

1 cup

27.0

0.20

4

2.7

good

Mustard Greens

1 cup

36.4

0.17

3

1.7

good

Tomatoes

1 cup

32.4

0.16

3

1.8

good

Sea Vegetables

1 TBS

10.8

0.16

3

5.3

good

Figs

1 medium

37.0

0.15

3

1.5

good

Romaine Lettuce

2 cups

16.0

0.13

3

2.9

good

Bok Choy

1 cup

20.4

0.13

3

2.3

good

World’s Healthiest
Foods Rating

Rule

excellent

DRI/DV>=75% OR
Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%

very good

DRI/DV>=50% OR
Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%

good

DRI/DV>=25% OR
Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

Pantothenic acid in foods does degrade over time. For example, in one study, fruit juice stored at room temperature for a week lost about 20% of its original pantothenic acid content. (We suspect that this vitamin might be a little more stable in a whole, unprocessed orange, but we were not able to find research in that area.) The Dutch military reported that canned emergency meals lost about 50% of pantothenic acid content after five years of storage. Needless to say, we don’t recommend making five-year-old foods a regular dietary staple—nor do we typically recommend canned foods when fresh foods are available. However, this research still provides some context for understanding the impact of storage on pantothenic acid.

Pantothenic acid is quite stable when it comes to cooking. This is especially true when foods are cooked at a neutral pH—for example, there is almost no loss of pantothenic acid in milk during pasteurization. Similarly, a study found that roasted beef retained about 90% of its initial pantothenic acid. (In the case of beef roasting, some kind of marinade or sauce would need to be used in order to alter the cooking pH.)

You will lose some pantothenic acid into cooking water when boiling. For example, we’ve seen evidence suggesting a moderate loss of pantothenic acid with quick boiled spinach. Cooking for longer will exaggerate this effect, providing a good reason to keep cooking times brief.

Risk of Dietary Deficiency

The only widely reported cases of pantothenic acid deficiency in humans that we are aware of were in grossly malnourished prisoners of war during World War II. Needless to say, this is a very specialized circumstance, and not the situation faced by the average U.S. adult.

With many other nutrients, we can build an experimental diet that depletes this nutrient to study the effects of deficiency. For pantothenic acid, however, because it is so ubiquitous in foods, researchers have not been able to build a diet low enough in the vitamin to cause visible clinical problems. This research situation provides further evidence that most diets are likely to provide sufficient amounts of this vitamin.

Because our recipes at WHF contain fresh and whole foods, you should expect to not only meet a minimal standard for prevention of deficiency, but in fact to exceed your needs by a comfortable margin (which is fine, given that there is no known risk of toxicty from dietary intake of this nutrient).

Other Circumstances that Might Contribute to Deficiency

Outside of severe malnutrition—in which many nutrients are determined to be too low in a diet—we simply do not have research studies showing that pantothenic acid intake is too low due to certain lifestyle practices or other habits. For this reason, we suspect that most people who are getting sufficient amounts of food in their diet (including adequate amounts of calories) are also getting adequate amounts of pantothenic acid.

Relationship with Other Nutrients

As a member of the B complex, pantothenic acid metabolism—or at least the energy pathways in which it is active—will be disrupted by deficiency of other B vitamins. In particular, vitamin B12, folic acid, and biotin lend important support to pantothenic acid metabolism.

Risk of Dietary Toxicity

There is no known risk of toxicity from dietary pantothenic acid. In research settings, use of supplemental pantothenic acid at daily doses more than 1000 times the Adequate Intake (AI) of 5 mg did not lead to any discernible side effects. For this reason, the National Academy of Sciences did not choose to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Limit (UL) for pantothenic acid.

Disease Checklist

• High cholesterol
• Chronic fatigue
• Acne vulgaris
• Diabetes-related foot ulcers

Public Health Recommendations

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has established Dietary Recommended Intake Levels (DRIs) for pantothenic acid in the form of Adequate Intake (AI) amounts. These AI amounts are as follows:

• 0-6 months: 1.7 mg
• 6 months to 1 year: 1.8 mg
• 1-3 years: 2 mg
• 4-8 years: 3 mg
• 9-13 years: 4 mg
• 14+ years: 5 mg
• Pregnant women: 6 mg
• Lacatating women: 7 mg

Given the striking lack of toxicity demonstrated at even very high intakes of pantothenic acid, the National Academy of Sciences did not choose to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for the vitamin. You can feel confident that you do not receive toxic amounts of pantothenic acid from your diet.

The Daily Value (DV) for pantothenic acid is set at 10 mg per 2000 calories in the diet. This is the value that you will see on food labels for pantothenic acid.

As our WHF daily recommended intake level for pantothenic acid, we chose the DRI for males and females 14 years and older of 5 milligrams.

What events can indicate a need for more high-B5 foods?

• Fatigue
• Listlessness
• Sensations of weakness
• Numbness, tingling, and burning/shooting pain in the feet

Crimini and shiitake mushrooms are excellent food sources of vitamin B5 while cauliflower is a very good source. Good sources of vitamin B5 include broccoli, grapefruit, bell peppers, and asparagus.

WHF rich in
vitamin B5

FoodCals%Daily Value

Avocado23420.2%

Yogurt15414.5%

Mushrooms - Crimini1913%

Mushrooms, Shiitake3013%

Corn14311.8%

Sweet Potato10310.1%

Cauliflower277.1%

Eggs787%

Broccoli315.2%

Collard Greens494.1%

For serving size for specific foods, see Nutrient Rating Chart below at the bottom of this page.

• Description

• Function

• Deficiency Symptoms

• Toxicity Symptoms

• Cooking, storage and processing

• Factors that affect function

• Nutrient interaction

• Health conditions

• Food Sources

• Public Health Recommendations

• References

Description

What is Vitamin B5?

Vitamin B5, most commonly called pantothenic acid, is a member of the B-complex family of vitamins first researched in the 1930-1940s as a required growth factor for many kinds of organisms, including yeasts, birds, and rodents.

The name of the vitamin comes from the Greek word pantos, meaning “everywhere.” The vitamin’s name reflects its almost universal presence in nature - including in virtually all types of food.

In its metabolically active form, vitamin B5 gets combined with another small, sulfur-containing molecule to form coenzyme A (or simply, CoA). This conversion allows vitamin B5 to participate in a wide variety of chemical reactions.

How it Functions

What is the function of Vitamin B5?

Release of Energy from Carbohydrates and Fats

When found in its CoA form, vitamin B5 plays a pivotal role in helping release energy from sugars, starches, and fats. Most of this energy release occurs in the energy production factories found in every cell called the mitochondria. Increased levels of vitamin B5 in the blood of marathon runners, for example, has led to interest in this vitamin as a potential aid in physical training, where sustained energy release from the mitochondria is critical.

Production of fats

While the CoA form of vitamin B5 is important for releasing energy stored as fat, it is equally important for the creation of fat. Two basic types of fats - fatty acids and cholesterol - both require the CoA form of B5 for their synthesis. Sphingosine, a fat-like molecule that is constantly involved in the delivery of chemical messages inside our cells, also requires B5 for its synthesis.

In order for B5 to support production of fats, it must usually undergo two chemical changes. The first required change is conversion to its CoA form. The second change, which is called acetylation, converts the CoA form of B5 back into acteyl CoA. This conversion of B5 into acetyl CoA, and then back into B5, is a process that occurs continually within our cells.

In one sense, vitamin B5 shares “double duty” in the production of fat. In its acteyl CoA form, it helps provide fat with its chemical structure because the acetyl portion of acetyl CoA is the basic building block for fat. However, vitamin B5 is also involved in the transport of these acetyl building blocks from one part of the cell (the large, watery-part called the cytoplasm) into smaller, more specialized organelles (called the mitochondria) where fat is actually produced. The tranport of these fat building blocks is carried out by a protein called acyl carrier protein (ACP), and once again, vitamin B5 is required for this protein to function.

Changing the shape and function of proteins

Sometimes it is important for the body to make small chemical changes in the shape of cell proteins. For example, if a cell does not want its proteins to be chemically broken down into other substances, it may want to modify their structure in order to prevent this chemical breakdown. One way for cells to accomplish this task is by attaching a special chemical group, called an acetyl group, to the proteins. Vitamin B5, in the form of CoA, can be used to help acetylate proteins, thereby protecting them from chemical breakdown. The attachment of acetyl groups to proteins can be important for other reasons, however. Sometimes this chemical process can dramatically change the function of a protein. For example, sometimes the acetylation of a protein can pave the way for its conversion into a hormone. This process is especially well-researched in relationship to the body’s adrenal glands, where stress-related hormone production requires participation of vitamin B5.

Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for Vitamin B5?

Because vitamin B5 is needed to release energy from carbohydrates and fats, its deficiency is often related to low energy-related symptoms. These symptoms include fatigue, listlessness, and sensations of weakness. One rare symptom of B5 deficiency is called “burning foot syndrome.” In this condition, numbness and tingling, together with burning and shooting pain in the feet, have been attributed to B5 deficiency. While other B vitamins (like B1 and B3) help lessen the symptoms of burning foot syndrome, B5 is required to end the burning sensation. This condition, while very rare, helps point out the strong interdependence of the B vitamins and is the reason that many researchers believe B5 deficiency symptoms are primarily symptoms of overall B vitamin deficiency, not deficiency of B5 alone.

Toxicity Symptoms

What are toxicity symptoms for Vitamin B5?

At very high supplemental doses of 2 or more grams per day, intake of vitamin B5 can cause mild diarrhea. The fact that much lower doses of this vitamin (in the 500 milligram range) have also been used to treat constipation lends credence to this association with diarrhea. But because diarrhea-linked doses of B5 are hundreds or thousands times the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) level, and because no other toxicity symptoms have been reported in the literature, no Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) was established by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences in its 1998 public health recommendations for vitamin B5.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of Vitamin B5?

In addition to poor dietary intake, digestive problems are the most common contributing factor to B5 deficiency. The reason for this connection between poor digestion and B5 deficiency involves the CoA form of B5 that is typically found in food. Proper digestion is required to release vitamin B5 from this CoA form and allow it to be absorbed into the body from the small intestine.

Nutrient Interactions

How do other nutrients interact with Vitamin B5?

In animal studies, vitamins B12, folate, and biotin are required for proper use of vitamin B5 in the body’s biochemical pathways. In addition, vitamin C appears to help prevent B5 deficiency.

Health Conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on Vitamin B5?

Vitamin B5 may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

• Adrenal insufficiency
• “Burning foot” syndrome
• Cataracts
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• General fatigue
• Hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood)
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Food Sources

What foods provide Vitamin B5?

Excellent sources of vitamin B5 include crimini and shiitake mushrooms.

Very good sources of vitamin B5 include calf’s liver and cauliflower.

Good sources of vitamin B5 include cucumber, avocado, asparagus, broccoli, celery, grapefruit, turnip greens, tomato, yogurt, eggs, sweet potato, collard greens, chard, bell peppers, and corn.

References

1. Cheng TS, Eitenmiller RR. Effects of processing and storage on the pantothenic acid content of spinach and broccoli. J Food Process Preserv 1988;12:115-23.
2. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998;58-86.
3. Gutzeit D, Klaubert B, Rychlik M, et al. Effects of processing and of storage on the stability of pantothenic acid in sea buckthorn products (Hippophae rhamnoides L. spp. Rhamnoides) assessed by stable isotope dilution assay. J Agric Food Chem 2007;55:3978-84.
4. Lanska DJ. Chapter 30: historical aspects of the major neurological vitamin deficiency disorders: the water-soluble B vitamins. Handb Clin Neurol 2010;95:445-76.
5. Leskova E, Kubikova J, Kovacikova E, et al. Vitamin losses: retention during heat treatment and continual changes expressed by mathematical models. J Food Comp Anal 2006;19:252-76.
6. Mihhalevski A, Nisamedtinov I, Halvin K, et al. Stability of B-complex vitamins and dietary fiber during rye sourdough bread production. J Cereal Sci 2013;57:30-38.
7. Nitschke W, Russell MJ. Beating the acetyl coenzyme A-pathway to the origin of life. Phil Trans R Soc B 2013;368:1471.
8. Tarar OM, Ali SA, Jamil K, et al. Study to evaluate the impact of heat treatment on water soluble vitamins in milk. J Pak Med Assoc 2010;60:909-12.
9. Tsuji T, Fukuwatari T, Sasaki S, et al. Urinary excretion of vitamin B1, B2, B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, and vitamin C correlates with dietary intakes of free-living elderly, female Japanese. Nutr Res 2010;30:171-8.
10. Bender DA. Nutritional biochemistry of the vitamins. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992. 1992.
11. Fox HM. Pantothenic acid. In: Machlin LJ. (Ed). Handbook of Vitamins. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1984;437. 1984.
12. Glusman M. The syndrome of burning feet (nutritional melalgia) as manifestation of nutritional deficiency. Am J Med 1947;3:211-223. 1947.
13. Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995. 1995.
14. Hanck AB, Goffin H. Dexpanthenol (Ro 01-4709) in the treatment of constipation. Acta Vitaminol Enzymol 1982;4(1-2):87-97. 1982.
15. Naruta E, Buko V. Hypolipidemic effect of pantothenic acid derivatives in mice with hypothalamic obesity induced by aurothioglucose. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2001 Oct;53(5):393-8. 2001.
16. National Research Council. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1989. 1989.
17. Robishaw JD, Neely JR. Coenzyme A metabolism. Am J Physiol 1985;248:E1-E9. 1985.
18. Rokitzki L, Sagredos A, Reuss F, et al. Pantothenic acid levels in blood of athletes at rest and after aerobic exercise. Z Ernahrungswiss 1993;32(4):282-288. 1993.
19. Tahiliani AG, Beinlick CJ. Pantothenic acid in health and disease. Vit Horm 1991;46:165-227. 1991.
20. Tannenbaum SR, Young VR. Vitamins and minerals. In: Fennema OR. (Ed). Food chemistry. Second edition. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1985;512. 1985.
21. Williams RJ, Lyman CM, Goodyear JH, et al. Pantothenic acid, a growth determinant of universal biological occurrence. J Am Chem Soc 1933;55:2912-2927. 1933.
22. Bender DA. Nutritional biochemistry of the vitamins. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992 1992.
23. Fox HM. Pantothenic acid. In: Machlin LJ. (Ed). Handbook of Vitamins. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1984;437 1984.
24. Glusman M. The syndrome of burning feet (nutritional melalgia) as manifestation of nutritional deficiency. Am J Med 1947;3:211-223 1947.
25. Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995 1995.
26. Hanck AB, Goffin H. Dexpanthenol (Ro 01-4709) in the treatment of constipation. Acta Vitaminol Enzymol 1982;4(1-2):87-97 1982.
27. Naruta E, Buko V. Hypolipidemic effect of pantothenic acid derivatives in mice with hypothalamic obesity induced by aurothioglucose. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2001 Oct;53(5):393-8 2001.
28. Robishaw JD, Neely JR. Coenzyme A metabolism. Am J Physiol 1985;248:E1-E9 1985.
29. Rokitzki L, Sagredos A, Reuss F, et al. Pantothenic acid levels in blood of athletes at rest and after aerobic exercise. Z Ernahrungswiss 1993;32(4):282-288 1993.
30. Tahiliani AG, Beinlick CJ. Pantothenic acid in health and disease. Vit Horm 1991;46:165-227 1991.
31. Tannenbaum SR, Young VR. Vitamins and minerals. In: Fennema OR. (Ed). Food chemistry. Second edition. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1985;512 1985.
32. Williams RJ, Lyman CM, Goodyear JH, et al. Pantothenic acid, a growth determinant of universal biological occurrence. J Am Chem Soc 1933;55:2912-2927 1933.