Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid is found in virtually all meat and vegetable foods. Good sources include chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, kidney, eggs, broccoli and whole grains such as brown rice and wholemeal bread.

Breakfast cereals are also a good source if they have been fortified with pantothenic acid.

How much do I need?

Pantothenic acid is one of the B-group vitamins. It's water-soluble, which means you need it in your diet every day because it can't be stored in the body.

You should be able to get all the pantothenic acid you need from your daily diet.

What does it do?

Pantothenic acid has a number of important functions. For example it works in the body to help release energy from the food we eat.

What happens if I take too much?

There isn't enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of pantothenic acid supplements each day.

What is our advice?

You should be able to get all the pantothenic acid you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. But if you decide to take supplements it's a good idea not to take too much because this might be harmful.

Taking 200 mg or less of pantothenic acid supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.