Pantethine is made in the body from pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5 and forms the vital part of Coenzyme A (CoA). Pantothenic acid is found everywhere in food, the best sources being brewer’s yeast, royal jelly, organ meats (liver, kidney and, yum, brains), egg yolks, nuts, seeds and pulses to name a few. If we are in the pink, and enjoying life, not working too hard, drinking too hard and eating a good natural diet, then there is a very good chance that we can make our own pantethine from our diet.
However….. the body has to work hard to produce pantethine. If we are overworked; most meals, if they happen, are grab and go experiences, and we’re drinking to help us relax – or maybe over doing the doughnuts, then, as time goes by, we will benefit more and more by taking a decent dose of pantethine to help pick us up. And pantethine as opposed to pantothenic acid, since our ability to convert one to the other is now compromised.
What does pantethine – or, to be more precise – CoA do in the body? Loads of things: it helps make the steroid hormones – estrogen and androgen being the best known; sphingoloids – found in the brain to help signalling; heme in the blood and acetylcholine. It helps the body use Vitamin D, fatty acids, proteins and carbs. Pantethine also helps the liver by lowering acetaldehyde levels post drinking a glass or two of wine too many. Acetaldehyde is a poisonous by-product of the metabolisation of alcohol. If we have been very stressed for a long time and are suffering from low morning energy, pantethine can help rebuild the adrenal glands. And finally, pantethine helps improve cholesterol readings, lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL.
From all this, pantethine has been used to help treat ulcerative colitis, fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, infection, adrenal fatigue, allergies, elevated triglycerides and problems with liver detoxification. Or, to summarise: if we’re pooped out and been hitting the bottle a bit hard and the doctor is nagging us, then pantethine, along with a good look at our lifestyle, will help move towards a long and happy life instead of a long and miserable life, supported by a myriad of pharmaceuticals.
Needless to say, not all pantethines are made equal. The Poliquin one has 300mg per capsule and is a most excellent source of pantethine.