PANTETHINE
Product No. P16025
Pantethine is the active form of pantothenic acid.
A naturally occurring substance, Pantethine is produced as a by-product when the body metabolises pantothenic acid. The name ‘pantothenic’ from which the word pantethine is derived literally means ‘something that is found everywhere’.
Pantethine and pantothenic acid are found in most foods, including vegetables, dairy, eggs, grains, and meat. Liver, salmon and yeast have especially high concentrations of pantothenic acid, which the body uses to produce pantethine.
Although Pantethine is derived from pantothenic acid, pantethine is not the same as pantothenic acid – the substances are not interchangeable. Structurally, pantethine is more of a stable disulfide form (or a double bond) of pantothenic acid. It is also a more active metabolic substrate that is converted into an enzyme called ‘Co-Enzyme A’ (CoA). CoA plays a critical role in the metabolism and breakdown of the three essential micronutrients; namely proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
It has been shown to significantly reduce serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol (the so-called ‘bad cholesterol’) levels, while at the same time increasing HDL (‘good cholesterol’). High levels of LDL are a major contributing factor of heart disease - the cholesterol forms plaque in the heart's blood vessels, which restricts or blocks the supply of blood to the heart, and causes a condition called atherosclerosis - a buildup of fatty substances in the inner layers of the arteries. Atherosclerosis caused by high cholesterol levels can lead to damage to the heart and possibly death. Pantethine has been used for the past 30 years in Japan for the purpose of preventing this.
Pantethine has the advantage of being an effective treatment for high cholesterol while avoiding the undesirable side effects of synthetic lipid-lowering drugs. There appears to be no toxicity or side effects from pantethine, making it an attractive and natural treatment alternative. It may also be a good cholesterol-lowering alternative for people with diabetes, who cannot take niacin due to the potential side effects on blood sugar regulation.
Other benefits of Pantethine are as follows;
Pantethine may lower triglyceride levels. Studies in the effect of pantethine on triglycerides indicate that a daily dose of pantethine is more effective than pantothenic acid or cystamine in lowering triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are one of the forms of fat stored by the body and used for energy and new cell formation. The break down of these fats in the liver can be disrupted by alcoholism, malnutrition, pregnancy, or poisoning. In fatty liver, or ‘steatosis’, large droplets of fat, containing mostly triglycerides, collect within cells of the liver.
Pantethine may improve symptoms associated with having a fatty liver. Fatty liver can be a temporary or long-term condition. Left untreated, it can contribute to other illnesses. The liver is the organ responsible for changing fats eaten in the diet to types of fat that can be stored and used by the body.
Pantethine has been shown to enhance cognitive abilities. Studies have indicated that pantethine facilitated the learning process and activity level of the animals tested. Pantethine performed much better than Cysteamine, which only slightly increased the locomotion and did not influence the shuttle box learning. Other studies have also confirmed that pantethine is beneficial to brain function.
Pantethine may help rheumatoid arthritis One very small study indicated that large daily doses of pantothenic acid were helpful to relieve symptoms of rheumatioid arthritis.
Pantethine may increase the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase. This enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of formaldehyde and as such pantethine may be helpful to those with formaldehyde sensitivity.
Pantethine has also been used successfully by some doctors for patients who experience heart burn, ulcers and candida infections and has been used with some success in the management of certain allergies. It has also been said to have certain anti-aging properties. Pantethine works by inhibiting cholesterol manufacture and accelerating the utilisation of fat as an energy source. As the biologically active form of pantothenic acid and the direct precursor to Coenzyme A (CoA), pantethine plays a role in
synthesis of fatty acids,
degradation of fatty acids,
Krebs cycle in which most of the body's energy is produced,
acetylation of choline-the major neurotransmitter of the body,
synthesis of antibodies,
utilization of nutrients-including fats, proteins, and carbohydrates,
maintenance of blood sugar levels,
synthesis of porphyrin-a heme precursor of importance in hemoglobin synthesis,
metabolism of some minerals and trace elements,
synthesis of steroid hormones, and detoxification of drugs, including sulphonamides.
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