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You are here : 3-RX.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Diet and Nutrition > Pantothenic Acid and Biotin
      Category : Health Centers > Food, Nutrition, and Metabolism

Pantothenic Acid and Biotin

Overview & Description | Functions and Sources

Pantothenic acid and biotin are water-soluble vitamins. They are two of the eight B vitamins. The B vitamin complex includes vitamins B1, niacin, B6, B12, folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Information

There are no established recommended daily allowances, or RDAs, for these vitamins. However, a safe and adequate amount for adults for pantothenic acid is 4 to 7 milligrams per day. For biotin the recommendation is 30 to 100 micrograms per day.

There are no toxic effects for pantothenic acid other than diarrhea. There is no known benefit to taking large doses. Because it is so common in food, deficiency is rare for people who eat a healthy diet.

There are no toxic effects for biotin. Although biotin deficiency is rare, consuming a large amount of raw egg whites can cause biotin deficiency. This is due to a protein in egg whites, avidin, that blocks the absorption of biotin. The protein is destroyed in cooking so cooked egg whites are not a problem. Long-term use of antibiotics could also interfere with the production of biotin, and increase the risk of deficiency. Deficiency symptoms include:

  • loss of appetite
  • nausea
  • depression
  • muscle pain and weakness
  • fatigue
  • hair loss, known as alopecia

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    Pantothenic Acid and Biotin: Functions and Sources

    Author: Kimberly Tessmer, RD, LD
    Reviewer: Jane Hemminger, RD, LD
    Date Reviewed: 03/28/01



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