Powerful Supplement For Metabolism, Cholesterol, Adrenals and Brain Fog

With so many supplements available today, it can be challenging to know which ones are truly beneficial. Many people don’t take any supplements, which in today’s world, quite frankly, is playing roulette with your long term health. But beyond the high quality multi-vitamin, multi-mineral, B-12, Vitamin C, D3, and K2 that I recommend most people consider looking into, there are many supplements targeted at specific health concerns that have radical (yes radical) results. Pantethine is one of them.

Pantethine is a derivative of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid),  and directly fuels your body’s production of Co-Enzyme A. Why is that important? CoA is a powerful energy molecule involved in your metabolism, is used in 70 different metabolic pathways – including the metabolism of fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates and amino acids. It also helps your body clear toxins, boost your adrenal gland function, elevate your mood, clear your head, and is critical for the health of your brain and cardiovascular system.

Regular B5 has to go through 5 different enzymatic conversions before it can become C0-Enzyme, whereas Pantethine (because it is bonded to sulfur) only goes through one. This is incredibly important because anyone with fatigue, metabolism issues or adrenal issues, has impaired conversion of regular vitamin B5 into CoA. 

Your Brain, Stress, Adrenals, and Pantethine

Pantethine has been shown in multiple studies to support and help increase the amount of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the body. This has a wide-ranging effect on both physical and mental well-being because BDNF supports the health of existing neurons in the brain and also helps stimulate stem cells to make new neurons.  An emerging body of research on BDNF has found that increased BDNF has powerful impacts on mood, cognitive function, and recovery from any kind of nerve damage.

Stress, free radicals (from toxins in food, air, water) and depression all lower BDNF. Supplementing with Pantethine supports BDNF formation, supports the adrenal glands, and improves energy production overall in the body.

Cholesterol and Pantethine

Pantethine has also been shown in studies with people who have high cholesterol and triglycerides, to lower both. In fact, panethine not only lowers the cholesterol and triglycerides but also changes the composition of the platelets so that they are healthier and “less sticky”. People with high cholesterol and triglycerides are known to have sticky blood and be at a higher risk for stroke. Pantethine also increases the level of the anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, while simultaneously lowering the pro-inflammatory levels of arachidonic acid. 

In a study of patients with high cholesterol who supplemented with 900 mg of Pantethine, both total and LDL cholesterol were lowered by almost 14 percent, and triglycerides were lowered by 30 percent. HDL levels were boosted by 10 percent. In another study where 1,000 mg of pantethine per day was given to stroke survivors for 90 days, the total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides decreased, while HDL increased.

Weight Loss, Leptin, Fatty Liver and Pantethine

Fatty liver that develops as a result of weight gain sets the stage for type II diabetes and serious metabolic problems. Studies have shown that people with fatty liver who supplement with pantethine cut their liver enzymes in half, reduced their resistance to insulin, and lower their overall risk of type II diabetes. In one study of people with fatty liver and high triglycerides, when they were given 600 mg of Pantethine per day for six months, more than half of the people in the study no longer had any fatty liver at the end of the study and abdominal fat had been reduced!

Pantethine has also been shown to have a positive impact on the hypothalamus gland which registers the brain's leptin signal. Proper regulation of the leptin signal i vital to maintaining a healthy weight, as most people who are overweight have damaged leptin signaling. Supplementing with pantethine was shown to result in lower food intake, better insulin and glucose levels, and improved activation of lipoprotein lipase in white adipose tissue. So pantethine is definitely a strategic supplement if you are trying to maintain a healthy weight, have healthy fat burning in the body and better leptin function.

Brain Fog, Detoxification, and Pantethine

Pantethine has been shown to boost a key enzyme used in detoxification – aldehyde dehydrogenase. This is the enzyme that clears alcohol from the body as well as the aldehyde toxins generated from damaged unsaturated fats (from foods like potato chips and French fries).  There are also many aldehyde based chemicals in the environment that also overload phase I of liver detoxification. People who have problems with pollen and mold are often inefficient or unable to clear aldehydes from the body. Pantethine is also called the “clear head pill” because aldehydes are implicated in brain fog.

Ultimately, Pantethine is a safe and powerful supplenent to consider taking for many people. As always, check with your own personal health care provider to determine what supplenents are safe and right for you.