Naturally occurring vitamin B5 deficiency in humans is very rare and has been observed only in cases of severe malnutrition.

 

Symptoms

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency in humans has been induced experimentally by co-administering a pantothenic acid antagonist and a pantothenic acid-deficient diet. While participants in this experiment complained of headache, fatigue, insomnia, intestinal disturbances, and numbness and tingling of their hands and feet (14), in a more recent study, participants fed only a pantothenic acid free diet did not develop clinical signs of deficiency, although some appeared listless and complained of fatigue (15).