Heart Health

The heart's main metabolic fuel is long-chain fatty acids, which are "burnt" in the heart muscle cells when oxygen is present. But if the heart can't utilize these fatty acids properly, they build up in the muscle tissue and damage it. Any defect in your ability to use these fatty acids will greatly increase your risk of angina pain if there is even a slight shortage of oxygen. The nutrients carnitine, pantethine and CoQ10 are all essential in the metabolism of fatty acids and prevent their accumulation in the heart muscle. Pantethine is a fundamental component of coenzyme A, which is involved in the transport of fatty acids to and from cells. Heart pantethine levels have been shown to drop during periods of reduced oxygen supply, so this nutrient is also likely to be of great benefit to angina sufferers (Jap. Heart J. 26: 289-96, 1985). Clinical trials have shown, incredibly, that carnitine at a dose of 600 mg a day is as effective as calcium channel blockers and other anti-angina drugs in reducing angina symptoms. (Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. 10: 213-217, 1984).