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Coenzyme Q10—Life Giving Cellular Energy For Your Heart and Entire Body!
Healthy, young people synthesize enough CoQ10 on their own without needing supplementation. However, synthesis in your body naturally slows down as you age.
The less CoQ10 available to your cells, the less energy your cells have to power all aspects of your life. Severe CoQ10 deficiency can result in enzyme defects, and muscular and organ dysfunction and serious disease consequences.
However, this problem is greatly improved by CoQ10 supplementation. A recent study showed that oral supplementation of CoQ10 in animals for two months increased muscle and brain levels of CoQ10 in old animals but not in young ones. Interestingly, the extent of uptake correlates with the degree of tissue deficiency.20
The research we’ve just reviewed gives a hint of CoQ10’s potential health benefits. And we haven’t yet discussed its role as a powerful antioxidant.
Dr. Langsjoen summarizes CoQ10’s antioxidant prowess this way:
“The antioxidant or free radical quenching properties of CoQ10 serve to greatly reduce oxidative damage to tissues as well as significantly inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (much more efficiently than vitamin E).”21
CoQ10 also restores the antioxidant power of vitamin E.22 When vitamin E disables a free radical, it becomes a short-lived free radical itself. It doesn’t survive in this state long enough to cause damage. But it loses its antioxidant power unless some other molecule regenerates it.
CoQ10 fills this role very effectively as part of the ATP-ADP Cycle we discussed earlier.
| Disease | Results |
| High blood pressure | Two placebo-controlled trials found that addition of CoQ10 to conventional medical therapy for 8 weeks in patients with hypertension and coronary artery diesease decreased systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 6 mm Hg.11 |
| Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) | Supplementation of 10 healthy men and women with CoQ10 significantly decreased plaque-forming immune cells called monocytes. This suggests CoQ10 has potential for the inhibition of atherosclerosis.12 |
| Angina | In 5 studies, CoQ10 improved exercise tolerance and reduced or delayed EKG changes associated with coronary artery blockage compared to placebo.{ref13| |
| Congestive Heart Failure | Discussed and referenced in detail in this article. CoQ10 significantly reduces severity of symptoms of CHF. |
| Parkinson’s Disease | In one study, 80 people with early Parkinson’s disease were treated with CoQ10. Supplementation was well tolerated and was associated with slower deterioration of function compared to placebo.14 |
| Migraine | Forty-two migraine patients in a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial were administered CoQ10 supplementation. CoQ10 was superior to placebo for reducing attack-frequency, headache-days and days-with-nausea in the third treatment month. It was well tolerated.15 |
| Kidney Disease | 97 patients with chronic kidney failure were randomized into a double blind, placebo-controlled trial. 81% of patients receiving CoQ10 showed positive response to treatment with 43% of patients receiving dialysis able to stop. Kidney function tended to worsen in the placebo group.16 |
| Dementia & Alzheimer’s | Rats administered agents that cause Alzheimer-like lesions were supplemented with CoQ10 for 3 weeks. The study demonstrated CoQ10 may have therapeutic importance in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.17 |
| Diabetes | Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improved blood sugar control and lowered hemoglobin A1c by 0.4% in people with Type 2 diabetes.18 |
| Periodontal (gum) Disease | Ten men with gum disease were treated with CoQ10. The results suggested that topical application of CoQ10 improves adult periodontitis both as a sole treatment and also in combination with traditional nonsurgical periodontal therapy.19 |
Clinically proven safe … and effective
CoQ10 has been shown to be safe in all the clinical studies cited in this report—and more. However, there have been very few studies on the safety of prolonged, extremely high dosages (above 1,000 mg/day). So it is not possible to comment on the long-term safety in healthy people taking these doses.
However, dosages in the 10 mg to 100 mg/dose range, 3 times a day—typical amounts for CoQ10—are well-tolerated and demonstrated as safe and effective time and again.
Bottom line recommendations …
As we age, our CoQ10 levels naturally drop. These levels are also reduced by disease, stress, diet, and other factors not yet understood. In addition, clinical evidence shows that cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins inhibit the body’s biosynthesis of CoQ10.23
So if you fall into any of these categories, you should begin supplementation with CoQ10.
Doing this provides strong support for your cellular powerhouses—the mitochondria. When you’re able to restore your mitochondria to their proper level of energy production, your body can harness its natural healing power.
And don’t forget, CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant—stronger even than vitamin E (which it supports in vitamin E’s role as antioxidant).
“So if you fall into any of these categories, you should begin supplementation with CoQ10.”
The ideal dosage of CoQ10 is 30 mg, taken three times a day with meals.
One bit of advice: Because CoQ10 works by harnessing your body’s natural health-protecting/promoting systems, it takes a while to work. It is not an “Instant Miracle.”
You will probably see the first changes in the way you feel or in your over all energy level in a couple of weeks. But long-term health changes will take several months.
But this kind of health—health that comes from inside … from your body’s natural systems … that’s safe and sustainable—is well worth the wait.
Editor's Note:
The natural health solutions described in this article are available through many on-line retailers including those listed below. By clicking these links you help support the important alternative health research we provide.
Visit www.amazon.com – a great way to find competitive deals on supplements offered by many different manufacturers.
Visit www.hfn-usa.com – when commitment to quality and freshness is important, this factory direct solution is preferred by many of our readers.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a physician before embarking on a dietary supplement program.
References
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Langsjoen, PH. Introduction to Coenzyme Q10.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ely/coenzq10.html -
Folkers K., Vadhanavikit S., Mortensen S.A. Biochemical rationale and myocardial tissue data on the effective therapy of cardiomyopathy with coenzyme Q10. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., vol. 82(3), pp 901-904. (1985).
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Mortensen S.A., Vadhanavikit S., Folkers K. Deficiency of coenzyme Q10 in myocardial failure. Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. X(7) 497-502. (1984).
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Baggio E, Gandini R, Plancher AC, Passeri M, Carmosino G., Italian multicenter study on the safety and efficacy of coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive therapy in heart failure. CoQ10 Drug Surveillance Investigators. Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15 Suppl:s287-94.
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Morisco, C.; Trimarco, B.; and Condorelli, M. Effect of coenzyme Q10 therapy in patients with congestive heart failure: a long-term multicenter randomized study. Journal of Molecular Medicine, Volume 71, Supplement 8, August, 1993.
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Folkers K, Langsjoen P, Willis R, et al. Lovastatin decreases coenzyme Q levels in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Nov;87(22):8931-4.
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Langsjoen, PH. Introduction to Coenzyme Q10.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ely/coenzq10.html -
Langsjoen, PH. Introduction to Coenzyme Q10.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ely/coenzq10.html -
Jolliet P, Simon N, Barré J, Pons JY, Boukef M, Paniel BJ, Tillement JP. Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations in breast cancer: prognosis and therapeutic consequences. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1998 Sep;36(9):506-9.
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Lockwood K, Moesgaard S, Hanioka T, Folkers K. Apparent partial remission of breast cancer in ‘high risk’ patients supplemented with nutritional antioxidants, essential fatty acids and coenzyme Q10.Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15 Suppl:s231-40.
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Singh RB, Niaz MA, Rastogi SS, Shukla PK, Thakur AS. Effect of hydrosoluble coenzyme Q10 on blood pressures and insulin resistance in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease. J Hum Hypertens. 1999;13(3):203-208.
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Turunen M, Wehlin L, Sjoberg M, et al. beta2-Integrin and lipid modifications indicate a non-antioxidant mechanism for the anti-atherogenic effect of dietary coenzyme Q10. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2002;296(2):255-260.
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Tran MT, Mitchell TM, Kennedy DT, Giles JT. Role of coenzyme Q10 in chronic heart failure, angina, and hypertension.Pharmacotherapy. 2001;21(7):797-806.
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Shults CW, Oakes D, Kieburtz K, et al. Effects of coenzyme q10 in early Parkinson disease: evidence of slowing of the functional decline.Arch Neurol. 2002;59(10):1541-1550.
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Sándor, MD, P. S. et al. Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis: A randomized controlled trial. Neurology 2005;64:713-715.
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Gaby, Alan R. Coenzyme Q10 for chronic renal failure. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Oct, 2005.
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Ishrata, Tauheed, et al. Coenzyme Q10 modulates cognitive impairment against intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin in rats Behavioural Brain Research. Volume 171, Issue 1, 15 July 2006, Pages 9-16.
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Hodgson, J.M., et al., Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes.Eur J Clin Nutr, 2002. 56(11): p. 1137-42.
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Hanioka T, Tanaka M, Ojima M, Shizukuishi S, Folkers K. Effect of topical application of coenzyme Q10 on adult periodontitis. Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15 Suppl:s241-8.
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Roland Stocker, Ph.D. Possible Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10. Linus Pauling Institute.
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Bowry V.W., Mohr D., Cleary J., Stocker R. (1995) Prevention of tocopherol-mediated peroxidation in ubiquinol-10-free human low density lipoprotein. J Biol Chem 1995 Mar 17;270(11):5756-63.
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Ingold K.U., Bowry V.W., Stocker R., Walling C. (1993) Autoxidation of lipids and antioxidation by alpha-tocopherol and ubiquinol in homogeneous solution and in aqueous dispersions of lipids: unrecognized consequences of lipid particle size as exemplified by oxidation of human low density lipoprotein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 1993 Jan 1;90(1):45-9.
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References quoted in: Langsjoen, PH. Introduction to Coenzyme Q10.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ely/coenzq10.html -
Roland Stocker, Ph.D. Possible Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10. Linus Pauling Institute.
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Bliznakov, Emile G. M.D. Wilkins, Ph.D. David J. Biochemical and Clinical Consequences of Inhibiting Coenzyme Q10 Biosynthesis by Lipid-Lowering HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Statins): A Critical Overview. Presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Drugs Affecting Lipid Metabolism, Florence, Italy, May 30-June 3, 1998.