At one time or another, most of us have suffered from acne. Acne can be one of the most demoralizing conditions of all
since it takes away a persons sense of well being and self confidence. Ever since I was 18, I have suffered from moderate
acne until I came accross pantothenic acid (Vit B5). I know many of you will be skeptical (I was to), but it really does work.
Last year my acne cleared up totaly on a dose of 5 grams per day of pantothenic acid. I now take a maintenance dose of 2
grams per day and have not had one single pimple in the last 6 months. Below is the research paper that prompted me to
take pantothenic acid. The research was conducted in Singapore almost 3 years ago and the results were staggering. Of the
100 patients in the study, all of them had a near 100% remission of their acne. I think that this study has not been publisized
in the west because the drug companies would loose so much money if people realized that acne could be cured by
something a cheap and simple and pantothenic acid.

Even if you don't regularly get acne, pantothenic acid is a great way to prevent post cycle flare-ups. Here is the research
paper. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me.

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Pantothenic Acid in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris "A Medical Hypothesis"
by Lit-Hung Leung, M.D.

This article originally appeared in the scientifically prestigious Journal of Orthromolecular Medicine Vol. 12 Number 2, 1997.
The version below is from a reprint of the original article and revisions were made in December 1998.

The Pathogenesis of Acne Vulgaris: A Medical Hypothesis

Over the years the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris has been extensively studied including, the structure and function of the
pilosebaceous follicle, the physiology of sebum, microflora in acne vulgaris, and abnormal follicular keratinization,
considered to be one of the earliest events in acne formation. Despite the concerted effort of many scientists, internists,
pathologists and dermatologists, the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris remains largely elusive.
In this paper, I would like to approach this problem from a different perspective. My clinical observations suggest that acne
vulgaris may be closely related to the consumption of diets, which are rich in fat content. This impression is by no means
novel. Textbooks do briefly mention this correlation though, more often than not, it is dismissed as irrelevant. However, my
observations have led to quite the contrary conclusions. Not only is the fat content of food closely related to acne vulgaris
but it forms some sort of linear relationship with the disease process. The more fat the patient consumes, the more severe
will be the acne process. This observation is in line with the opinion of many dermatologists that chocolate, which is
composed mainly of the creamy part of milk, and has a high degree of fat content, is bad for acne. Significantly, in this
group of patients, any deliberate attempt in trying to avoid a fatty diet over a period of weeks, if not days, will often result in
important compound, cholesterol, which in turn is basically synthesized from units of acetyl-CoA. In the synthetic process,
the body naturally is always trying not only to reach for a normal level of androgens, but an optimal level, so as to allow the
body to function at its best. However, this is not always possible, and the normal level reached may not represent the
optimal level. This is natures flexible way of dealing with shortage of essential dietary elements in any form to achieve a
level that is just enough to manage the present situation, leaving a variable degree of shortage from the optimal level. In
the present instance, in the two groups of boys, one group may have a normal level of androgens that is falling short of the
optimum. One possible explanation for this is that there is a lack of basic building blocks, the acetyl-CoAs, which deter the
body from operating at peak efficiency. If this is a viable possibility, it suggests that a plentiful supply or a deficiency of
acetyl-CoA in the body may play a role in the acne process. this is certainly possible. Aside from its role in the synthesis of
the sex hormones, acetyl-CoA, of which Coenzyme-A is the important component, it is also important in fatty acid
metabolism as an acyl carrier in the lengthening and degradation of long chain fatty acids by adding or removing acyl groups
in the metabolic process.

Acne vulgaris is related to lipid metabolism as well as the sex hormones, both of which have a lot to do with Coenzyme-A.
This relationship provides a reasonable ground to link up the acne process to Coenzyme-A and to investigate the
pathogenesis of acne vulgaris along this line.

The Importance of Coenzyme-A

In trying to link acne vulgaris to Coenzyme-A, it is important to have a hypothesis supporting some basic facts. A closer look
at
Coenzyme-A may provide the evidence.

A Sharing scenario; As a coenzyme active in both fatty acid metabolism and sex hormone synthesis, Coenzyme-A is shared
between two different metabolic processes. This is not uncommon in biochemical reactions in metabolism, where a
coenzyme is often shared among a number of reactions. Coenzyme-A is arguably the most important coenzyme in the body,
and when a coenzyme is involved in the metabolic process to such an extent as this, it becomes legitimate to ask if a
shortage and deficiency is possible. To answer this, a brief look at the structure of Coenzyme-A is warranted.
Coenzyme-A is formed from adenosine triphosphate, cysteine, and pantothenic acid. Of these pantothenic acid is the only
component that is a vitamin, and must be provided from our dietary intake. Could there be an insufficient intake of
pantothenic acid resulting in a deficiency in Coenzyme-A, which would leave the body unable to cope with all the reactions,
that it has to perform with that all-important coenzyme? Conventional wisdom does not think so. It is suggested that
pantothenic acid, being ubiquitous, can be had from whatever kind of food that is taken in, and that there is no question as
to its deficiency in our body. However, a deficiency is still possible. After all, when so many reactions are dependent on the
same agent, its demand must be tremendous. Shortage under such circumstances is not entirely impossible.

The Crucial Question and the New Theory