There are few natural compounds more powerful than pantethine and its relative pantothenic acid. For decades pantothenic acid is one of the essential nutrients used to help adrenal function. In fact, it is a good substitute for prednisone, a drug which has horrible side effects, but is very valuable in the treatment of auto immune diseases including arthritis, allergies, and colitis.

Once inside the body, pantothenic acid forms a substance called pantethine, which is further converted into an enzyme called "Co-enzyme A." Co-enzyme A is an extremely important compound and is essential in the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. It is also the starting point for the body's production of adrenal steroids, cholesterol, bile, and haemoglobin.

While pantothenic acid ultimately leads to the creation of Co-enzyme A, the use of pantethine is a much faster way to achieve the same effect as panothenic acid and with intense potency. Panethehine is critical to the management of auto-immune disorders as well as adrenal fatigue. Pantethine allows the adrenal glands to generate more cortisone which is an anti-stress hormone. With more cortisone produced, the body's inflammatory response is reduced. For maximum effect, it should be used in conjunction with a high dose nutritional cocktail of vitamin C, lysine, proline, bioflavonoids, pine bark extract, glycine, carnitine, magnesium, frutooligosaccharides, glutamine, and ascorbyl palmitate.

Pantethine is an excellent choice when it comes to reduction of triglyceride in the body. A daily dose of 900mg has been shown to reduce triglyceride by up to 32% as well as a 19% drop in total cholesterol and a 21% drop in LDL ( the "bad" cholesterol) cholesterol . At the same time, HDL (the "good" cholesterol) rose by 23%. Pantethine also protects the heart and arteries and acts synergistically with vitamin E against cholesterol build up.

Pantethine's role in optimum heart health cannot be under-estimated. By generating more Co-enzyme A, the heart muscle's metabolic rate is enhanced, thereby increasing the heart contractile forces. With a stronger contraction, a longer relaxation phase is possible, resulting in the slowing of heart rate. In addition, pantethine also helps to increase the production of omega-3 fatty acid in the body ( EPA, DHA, and other essential oils). Omega-3 fatty acids also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and reduces the clot promoting fats in cell membranes. Most spectacularly, there are no side effects.

Pantethine is also an excellent nutrient when it comes to 2 major gastrointestinal problems, namely colitis and Crohn's disease. A daily dose of 900-1200 mg matched with 900-1200 mg of pantothenic acid will drastically improve those with Crohn's disease and colitis. The normal waiting time for effects to kick in is 4 to 8 weeks, but many have reported benefits in much shorter time. Pantethine also helps beneficial bacteria to grow in the intestines. It helps the body get over yeast overgrowth and accumulation of other toxic substances such as formaldehyde.
pantethine is therefore a natural detoxifier.

Pantothenic acid, while not as strong as pantethine, does have it's own role. In high doses (up to 10 grams ) a day, it can help with acne. Calcium pantothenate is an excellent nutrient for gout when taken at 800-1200 mg in 4 divided doses per day. Some people have reported reduction in inflammation and improvement of symptoms in burning foot syndrome. It is also used in conjunction with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis.

In summary, pantethine is a remarkably safe and extremely valuable natural dietary supplement. It is used in a variety of settings, with the most important being lipid balancing and in combating adrenal fatigue. The usual dosage of pantethine is 900-1500mg a day in divided dosages.