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The Evidence

Page 39

Pantothenic acid (B5) on a vegan diet

Pantothenic acid is in almost everything on a plate, plant or animal, and the deficiency record is so thin that the only confirmed human cases came from deliberate starvation experiments.

Vegan Brief Evidence last reviewed August 22, 2026

This is a summary of the cited evidence, not medical advice.

  • Shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 cup 2.6 mg B5 (52% of the DV)
  • AI, adults 5 mg/day
  • Deficiency Essentially unseen outside starvation

The short version

Pantothenic acid earns its keep by building coenzyme A, a molecule central to breaking down and building up fat in every cell. Its name gives away the rest of the story.

Primary source 01 / 03

The main function of this water-soluble B vitamin is in the synthesis of coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein.

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Pantothenic Acid (fact sheet for health professionals), 2026

Pantothenic acid comes from the Greek for "from everywhere," and the food table backs that up. The Adequate Intake for adults is 5 mg a day, and a typical American diet already delivers around 6 mg without anyone trying.

It is genuinely everywhere

Shiitake mushrooms carry over half the Daily Value in half a cup, sunflower seeds close behind at roughly the same share per quarter cup, and half an avocado supplies a fifth. Potatoes, broccoli, chickpeas, brown rice and oats each add a smaller amount.

Primary source 02 / 03

A wide variety of plant and animal foods contain pantothenic acid.

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Pantothenic Acid (fact sheet for health professionals), 2026

Who actually falls short

This is one of the cleanest non-issues in nutrition. NIH's fact sheet names exactly one at-risk group, people with a rare genetic disorder called PKAN that blocks the enzyme pantothenic acid needs to do its job, and otherwise draws a blank.

Primary source 03 / 03

Because some pantothenic acid is present in almost all foods, deficiency is rare except in people with severe malnutrition.

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Pantothenic Acid (fact sheet for health professionals), 2026

The only documented human deficiency cases came from prisoners of war fed almost nothing, or from volunteers given a metabolic antagonist on purpose. Neither scenario has anything to do with choosing plants over meat, and neither makes a case for supplementation on an ordinary diet.

  • Thiamine (B1) on a vegan diet Thiamine hides in whole grains, legumes and fortified cereal at levels that meet the RDA with room to spare, and the deficiency risk list runs through alcohol use disorder and bariatric surgery, not what's on the plate.
  • Niacin (B3) on a vegan diet Niacin comes from brown rice, peanuts and fortified grains directly, and the body has a second route: it converts spare tryptophan from any protein, plant or animal, into niacin on its own.
  • Vitamin B6 on a vegan diet Vitamin B6 turns up in chickpeas, potatoes and bananas in amounts that rival or beat meat, and the federal government's own list of at-risk groups never once mentions diet type.

Frequently asked

Is pantothenic acid a concern on a vegan diet?

No. NIH's fact sheet describes it as present in almost all foods, plant and animal, and a typical diet already exceeds the 5 mg Adequate Intake without special effort.

What does pantothenic acid deficiency actually look like?

It has only been documented in extreme starvation, such as prisoners of war during World War II, or in volunteers given a metabolic blocker deliberately. NIH names only one at-risk group: people with a rare genetic disorder called PKAN.

The primary sources

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