Pantothenic Acid
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- In the body, pantothenic acid is a central precursor of coenzyme A and plays an essential coenzyme role in major metabolic processes, including glycolysis, the TCA cycle, fatty acid beta-oxidation, and lipid metabolism. It is also involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, phospholipids, steroid hormones, vitamin D, the porphyrin component of hemoglobin, and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, playing an important role in regulating cell metabolism and maintaining health. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin which belongs to the group of B-vitamins. It contributes to fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too little
- Pantothenic acid deficiency can cause a variety of disorders in the central and peripheral nervous systems. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Pantothenic acid is ubiquitous in foods and dietary deficiency is rare. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too much
- The toxicity of taking in a lot of pantothenic acid appears to be very low. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- In some clinical studies, mild stomach and intestinal symptoms were reported after taking high-dose supplements, but the results were not consistent and no serious harmful effects have been reported. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | AI |
|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 1.7 mg |
| 6–11 months | 2 mg |
| 1–2 years | 2 mg |
| 3–5 years | 2.5 mg |
| Male · 6–8 years | 3 mg |
| Male · 9–11 years | 4 mg |
| Male · 12–14 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 15–18 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 19–29 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 30–49 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 50–64 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 65–74 years | 5 mg |
| Male · 75+ years | 5 mg |
| Female · 6–8 years | 3 mg |
| Female · 9–11 years | 4 mg |
| Female · 12–14 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 15–18 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 19–29 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 30–49 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 50–64 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 65–74 years | 5 mg |
| Female · 75+ years | 5 mg |
| Pregnancy | +1 mg |
| Lactation | +2 mg |
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 1.7 mg | — |
| 7–12 months | 1.8 mg | — |
| 1–3 years | 2 mg | — |
| 4–8 years | 3 mg | — |
| Male · 9–13 years | 4 mg | — |
| Male · 14–18 years | 5 mg | — |
| Male · 19–30 years | 5 mg | — |
| Male · 31–50 years | 5 mg | — |
| Male · 51–70 years | 5 mg | — |
| Male · 71+ years | 5 mg | — |
| Female · 9–13 years | 4 mg | — |
| Female · 14–18 years | 5 mg | — |
| Female · 19–30 years | 5 mg | — |
| Female · 31–50 years | 5 mg | — |
| Female · 51–70 years | 5 mg | — |
| Female · 71+ years | 5 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 6 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 6 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 6 mg | — |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 7 mg | — |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 7 mg | — |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 7 mg | — |
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 7–11 months | 3 mg | |
| 1–3 years | 4 mg | |
| 4–10 years | 4 mg | |
| 11–17 years | 5 mg | |
| 18+ years | 5 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 18–60 years | 5 mg | |
| Lactation · 18–60 years | 7 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — | |
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 2: Vitamins (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.