Is Coenzyme Q10 Good For You?

 

Coenzyme Q10 is a substance similar to a vitamin. It is found in every cell of the body. Your body makes CoQ10, and your cells use it to produce energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance. It also functions as an antioxidant, which protects the body from damage caused by harmful molecules. Good food sources of CoQ10 include:

 

Organ meats. CoQ10 is present in cells throughout your body, mostly concentrated in your vital organs. This means animal organ meats have the highest amounts of CoQ10 per 100 grams. For instance, a beef heart has 11.3 milligrams, and a beef liver has 3.9 milligrams. A chicken heart has 9.2 milligrams and liver has 11.6 milligrams.

 

Fatty fish. Fatty fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel, and sardines contain CoQ10. Mackerel provides about 6.75 milligrams per 100 grams while trout provides 0.85 milligrams per 100 grams.

 

 

Meat. It's not just animal organs that provide CoQ10. Because it lives throughout your body, it's present in all meat forms. Beef offers about 3.1 milligrams per 100 grams, chicken has 1.4 milligrams, and pork has 2.4 milligrams. Reindeer meat provides about 15.8 milligrams.

 

Soybeans. Soybean products such as tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt are a valuable protein source. Soybeans also have many other vitamins and minerals, as well as CoQ10. Boiled soybeans have 1.2 milligrams per 100 grams. Other soy products contain lesser amount of CoQ10, with tofu at 0.3 milligrams and soy milk at 0.25 milligrams.

 

Vegetables. Along with many vitamins and minerals, a lot of vegetables contain CoQ10. Among them, broccoli has high CoQ10 content, weighing in at 0.6 to 0.86 milligrams per 100 grams.

 

Nuts and seeds. Along with protein, heart-healthy fats, and other important nutrients, nuts and seeds provide CoQ10. Pistachios have 2 milligrams of CoQ10 per 100-gram serving, peanuts have 2.6 milligrams, and sesame seeds have 1.7 milligrams.

 

 

 

There are two forms of CoQ10: ubiquinone and ubiquinol. Ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, is made in the body from ubiquinone. As we age, the levels of both forms drop. As early as age 20, the amount of ubiquinone our bodies produce begins to drop. Compounding the problem, the body also loses its ability to make ubiquinol from ubiquinone. Most dietary supplements contain ubiquinone and are relatively cost effective, while ubiquinol supplements, which may be of most benefit as we age, can be harder to find and more expensive.

 

 

A simple blood test is available to measure Coenzyme Q10 levels. A shortage of this antioxidant may lead to oxidative stress, which increases the risk for a range of disorders, including CVD. Recent research links low blood levels of CoQ10 with low levels of heart-protective "good" cholesterol which in turn may further increase risk for heart disease. Cholesterol-lowering statins may also reduce blood levels of CoQ10.

 

 

Recent studies suggest that CoQ10, either alone or combined with other therapies, may be beneficial for the following conditions. However, as with all supplements, patients should consult their medical provider before taking CoQ10 to check if it's appropriate for them.

 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies show that CoQ10 supplements can significantly increase HDL-C and ApoA1 levels, even in people taking statins, and may help reduce risk for CVD. CoQ10 supplementation also lowers levels of inflammatory biomarkers shown to be risk factors for CVD, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Finally, low CoQ10 levels have been associated with greater tissue damage to the heart during a heart attack and the brain during stroke.

 

Statin-related muscle symptoms. Although statin therapy can significantly reduce heart attack and stroke risk, up to 25 percent of patients quit treatment within six months due to side effects, such as muscle aches and weakness. In a 2014 randomized clinical study published in Medical Science Monitor, 75 percent of statin users with muscle symptoms reported reduced pain after taking CoQ10 twice a day for 30 days, versus zero improvement in the placebo group. The researchers concluded that combining statin therapy with CoQ10 supplements could lead to higher compliance with treatment.

 

Heart failure (HF). CoQ10 was hailed as "the first new drug to improve heart failure mortality in over and decade" after a multi-center randomized study of 420 patients found that taking it reduced deaths in patients with severe HF by half, compared to a control group. The researchers tracked the patients for two years. The study was presented at the Heart Failure 2013 congress in Lisbon and later published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology Heart Failure.

 

After a heart attack. In a randomized clinical trial, patients who received CoQ10 soon after a heart attack had a much lower rate of subsequent cardiac events over the next year than a control group (24.6 percent versus 45 percent). About half the patients in both groups were also taking a statin medication, prompting the researchers to report that, "treatment with CoQ10 in patients with recent [heart attack] may be beneficial in patients with high risk of atherothrombosis, despite optimal lipid lowering therapy."

 

High blood pressure. In an analysis of 12 clinical studies, researchers reported that CoQ10 has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 10 mm Hg without significant side effects.

 

People take coenzyme Q10 powder for many reasons, including to boost energy, to speed recovery from exercise, and to help reduce the effects certain medicines can have on the heart, muscles, and other organs.

 

There is some evidence that coenzyme Q10 may help to:

1)Reduce symptoms from taking statins, such as muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, cramping, or fatigue.

2)Stimulate the immune system.

3)Protect the heart from being damaged from certain chemotherapy medicines.

 

Related Product: Coenzyme Q10 

consult us for free samples~

 

 

References

https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/health-encyclopedia/he.coenzyme-q10.ug1977spec

https://www.clevelandheartlab.com/blog/horizons-coq10-what-are-the-heart-health-benefits

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-coq10