NOW Foods Pantothenic Acid 500mg 100 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods Pantothenic Acid is a B-complex vitamin supplement supplying 500 mg of vitamin B-5 in each veg capsule, sold in a bottle of 100 capsules. The front panel identifies it as "A Dietary Supplement" and carries both a Non-GMO mark and the wording "Vegetarian/Vegan". The bottle's own side banner files it under Vitamins rather than any herbal or botanical range, and it sits with the rest of the vitamins selection on this site.

Pantothenic acid is one of the eight B vitamins. The name is worth a moment: it comes from the Greek pantothen, meaning "from everywhere", and it was chosen because the vitamin turned out to be unusually widely distributed across ordinary foods rather than concentrated in a few of them. The label pairs the chemical name with the more familiar numbering, printing "Pantothenic Acid" large on the front and "Vitamin B-5" beneath it.

What's inside

The Supplement Facts panel lists two rows, and the label states that both of them come from one single ingredient: calcium pantothenate. That is worth understanding, because it explains why a product named after a B vitamin declares a mineral as well.

Calcium pantothenate is a salt. Pantothenic acid in its free form is a viscous, moisture-attracting substance; combined with calcium it becomes a dry, free-flowing powder, which is the form the supplement industry generally works with. In solution the salt separates into its two component parts, which is why the panel declares each part on its own line rather than listing the salt once. So the 500 mg row and the 45 mg row are not two separate things added to the capsule — they are the two halves of a single declared ingredient, counted separately as the labeling rules require.

The vitamin B-5 row is printed at 500 mg with a Daily Value of 10,000%. That figure is easy to check against the panel's own arithmetic: the adult Daily Value for pantothenic acid is 5 mg, and 500 divided by 5 is 100, so one capsule carries one hundred times the reference amount — exactly the 10,000% shown. A four-figure percentage on a label simply reflects how small that reference intake is. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet index publishes general background on individual vitamins and minerals; it does not refer to this product.

The calcium row is printed at 45 mg, or 3% of the Daily Value. Calcium's reference intake is 1,300 mg, and 45 against 1,300 works out at roughly 3.5%, which is where the printed 3% comes from. It is a small contribution and the label makes no more of it than that. General background on the mineral is available from the NIH fact sheet on calcium, which likewise describes the nutrient and not this item.

The Other Ingredients line is unusually short — just two entries. Hypromellose (cellulose capsule) is the shell itself: a cellulose derivative made from plant fiber, and the reason the front panel can print "Vegetarian/Vegan" without qualification, since the usual alternative shell material is animal-derived gelatin. Stearic acid (vegetable source) is a fatty acid used in tablet and capsule production as a flow agent, keeping powder moving evenly through the filling machinery so each capsule receives a consistent fill. The label specifies the vegetable source in brackets, which matters because stearic acid can also be rendered from animal fat.

The panel itself prints no servings line, so the capsule count above is taken from the front of the bottle. All other entries are transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel as shown on the bottle.

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads, in full: "Take 1 capsule daily with a meal." That is the whole of the printed instruction — the manufacturer specifies no particular time of day and no second serving. Follow the directions printed on the bottle you receive.

For storage the panel says "Store in a cool, dry place after opening." The side panel also notes that "Natural color variation may occur in this product", which is a normal consequence of vitamin raw material varying slightly between production batches and is not a sign of a problem.

Who it's for

This is a single-nutrient product for adults who already know they want vitamin B-5 specifically, rather than a multivitamin or a broad B-complex blend. At 500 mg per capsule it is a concentrated single-vitamin format, and anyone already taking a multivitamin or a separate B-complex is worth checking their combined intake with a healthcare professional so the same nutrient is not doubled up unintentionally. Our wider supplements and health and wellness categories carry other single-nutrient and combination formats.

The capsule shell is plant-derived, so the product suits vegetarian and vegan diets, and the allergen statement below will matter to anyone shopping with a food allergy.

Good to know

• Printed caution: "For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children."
• Allergen statement: the panel reads "Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, corn, milk, egg, fish, shellfish or tree nut ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens." Read both halves together — the second sentence is the one that matters if your allergy is severe.
• Manufacturing: the back panel reads "Quality Tested & Packaged by NOW FOODS, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA." Note the wording describes testing and packaging rather than stating a country of manufacture. The bottle also carries a "GMP Quality Assured" roundel and the line "Family owned since 1968."
• Marks on the pack: a Non-GMO mark appears on the front and side panels, and a "K" symbol appears on the label. No certifying agency is named alongside the "K" on any of the photographed surfaces.
• Reading the asterisk: the side panel carries a paragraph of manufacturer wording marked with an asterisk. The FDA page on structure/function claims explains what that mark signifies on a supplement label. General consumer guidance on choosing and using supplements is published by NCCIH, and label records for marketed products are searchable in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. None of these sources refers to this product.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how far does that go at the label serving?

The bottle holds 100 veg capsules, and at the label's one capsule daily that is roughly a three-month supply. The front panel prints the 100 count and the side panel prints the one-a-day instruction.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes — the front panel prints "Vegetarian/Vegan", and the Other Ingredients line backs it up: the only shell material listed is hypromellose, a plant-fiber cellulose derivative, and the stearic acid is specified as vegetable source.

Why does the panel list calcium when this is a vitamin B-5 product?

Because both rows come from one ingredient, calcium pantothenate, which the panel names as the source of each. The 45 mg of calcium is carried along with the vitamin rather than added as a separate ingredient, and the labeling rules require each nutrient to be declared on its own line.

What does the 10,000% Daily Value figure actually mean?

It means one capsule supplies one hundred times the Daily Value reference amount for pantothenic acid, which is 5 mg for adults. The percentage is high because the reference intake is small, and it is a straightforward statement of quantity against that reference.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.