Pantethine, the metabolically active form of vitamin B5 (or pantothenic acid), offers a host of benefits.

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Pantethine, the metabolically active form of vitamin B5 (or pantothenic acid), offers a host of benefits. To start:

• It is vital for dozens of enzymatic reactions that require coenzyme A, including those involved with processing fats and carbohydrates.
• It helps the cells’ tiny energy factories, the mitochondria, turn fatty acids into energy to help improve energy production in every cell of the body.
• It supports healthy adrenal cortex function and hormone synthesis, particularly during times of stress, earning it designation at the “anti-stress” B vitamin. Deficiency in pantothenic acid can lead to atrophy of the adrenal glands with symptoms of fatigue and sleep disturbances.

Recent study findings confirm benefits on cholesterol

Pantethine also lowers cholesterol safely and naturally. A recent study found that supplementation slashes cholesterol by 11%. The randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study looked at 32 North American adults with high cholesterol.[2] All patients were considered to be at low to moderate risk of cardiovascular disease and eligible for treatment with statin drugs based on the standard National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.

The patients received either pantethine (600 mg/day from weeks 1 to 8 and 900 mg/day from weeks 9 to 16) or placebo for four months. Compared with those taking the placebo, the participants taking pantethine showed a significant decrease in total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol after four months. LDL cholesterol decreased by an average of 11% from baseline in the pantethine group, while it increased by 3% in the placebo group.

Pantethine benefits include higher CoQ10 and HDL

But here’s where it gets even more interesting: The same study found that pantethine doesn’t lower levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which occurs with standard cholesterol-lowering medication (statins).[2] In fact, CoQ10 levels significantly increased from baseline throughout the first month of pantethine supplementation and remained elevated until the end of the study at month four.

“This study confirms that pantethine lowers cardiovascular risk markers in low to moderate cardiovascular disease risk participants eligible for statins according to NCEP guidelines,” concluded the study’s authors.

Previous studies have also shown that pantethine supplements increase beneficial HDL cholesterol levels and apolipoprotein A1.[1] Apolipoprotein A1 is the major protein component of HDL and promotes cholesterol removal from tissues to the liver for excretion.

How to take pantethine to lower your cholesterol

Be sure to buy pantethine and not the more commonly sold form of vitamin B5, pantothenic acid. Take 600 to 900 mg per day in two or three divided doses, with meals. It may take up to four months to experience the full cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Like all treatments for high cholesterol, it works best when you’re also eating diet based on whole foods; avoiding trans fats, sugars, and processed foods; and exercising regularly.

[1] Alt Med Rev. 2010;15(3):279-82.

[2] Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2014 Feb 27;10:89-100.

This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated.