What it does
The NIH consumer sheet says pantothenic acid helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need. It also says pantothenic acid is important for making and breaking down fats.
What research can and cannot say
The consumer sheet says pantethine is being studied for cholesterol and triglycerides, and that more research is needed before those results settle what a pantethine supplement does. The health professional sheet says no studies have compared the relative bioavailability of calcium pantothenate and pantethine. That is a missing comparison of how readily the body can use each form. It does not show the forms are interchangeable or equally effective.
A pantothenic acid label does not show a change in cholesterol or energy. Calcium pantothenate and pantethine are different forms. A missing bioavailability comparison is not a finding that one form works as well as the other for every purpose.
Forms and label reading
Supplements often use calcium pantothenate or pantethine. The health professional sheet says no studies have compared the relative bioavailability of those forms. Read the form and the mg per serving on the Supplement Facts panel.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Amount and upper limit
Recommended amount. The NIH sheet lists 5 mg a day for adults 19 and older. It lists 6 mg for pregnant teens and women and 7 mg for breastfeeding teens and women. Cited sheet
Upper limit. The consumer sheet does not list an upper limit. It says very high supplement doses, such as 10,000 mg a day, can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. Cited sheet
Safety
The sheet says pantothenic acid has not been shown to be harmful at ordinary amounts, and that very high supplement doses, such as 10,000 mg a day, can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. It says pantothenic acid is not known to interact with any medicines. Severe deficiency is very rare in the United States.
Food sources
The sheet says pantothenic acid is naturally present in almost all foods. It names beef, poultry, seafood, organ meats, eggs, milk, mushrooms, avocados, potatoes, broccoli, whole grains, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and chickpeas.