While administration of oral vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and application of pantothenol ointment to the skin have been shown to accelerate the closure of skin wounds and increase the strength of scar tissue in animals (6), there are only few data to support accelerated wound healing in humans.

 

A randomized controlled study in patients undergoing surgery for tattoo removal found that supplementation with 1,000 mg vitamin C and 200 mg vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) did not significantly improve the wound healing process (7).

 

High cholesterol and triglycerides

Several studies found daily doses of 900 mg (300 mg three times daily) pantethine, a vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) derivative, not a vitamin, to be significantly more effective than placebo in lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood of both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals (8).

 

The fact that pantethine has few side effects was especially attractive for patients whose blood needs to be cleaned by dialysis (‘hemodialysis’) because of the increased risk of drug toxicity in patients with renal (kidney) failure (9).

 

Larger studies are needed to determine whether pantethine has any real beneficial effect in treating elevated blood cholesterol or triglycerides.

 

Rheumatoid arthritis

Some very preliminary evidence suggests that pantothenic acid might help with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

 

A small study concluded that 2,000 mg/day calcium pantothenate improved symptoms of RA, including morning stiffness and pain (10). The study found that people with RA may have lower levels of vitamin B5 in their blood than healthy people, and the lowest levels were associated with the most severe symptoms.

 

Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.