You may have heard of Coenzyme Q10 (AKA CoQ10) but, do you know what it is or how it helps the body?
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant nutrient present inside almost every cell. Its primary job is to support other enzymes in catalyzing our body’s metabolic reactions.
Most of our body’s CoQ10 is found in the mitochondria, the tiny “energy powerhouses” inside each cell.
For you science geeks, Coenzyme Q10 is involved in the electron transport chain, the final step in the production of ATP, the “energy currency” of the cell. Without adequate CoQ10, our energy can fall short.
There are more mitochondria inside the heart than any other organ, and for good reason: our heart beats more than 100,000 times each day, and that takes a lot of energy!
But that’s not all: in addition to playing a critical role in energy production, CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant, fighting oxidative damage from toxic exposures, infections, normal metabolic processes of aging, and more.
Here are 3 reasons why you might benefit from supplementing with CoQ10:
1) Using a statin drug to lower cholesterol. Statins work to reduce cholesterol production by inhibiting a liver enzyme that produces cholesterol. Unfortunately, statins also block the production of Coenzyme Q10, frequently resulting in muscle pain and toxicity.
While statins are generally well-tolerated, an average of 27.8% of patients experience “statin induced myopathy”…or muscle pain and weakness so severe they discontinue statin use. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation appears to relieve this muscle pain, allowing for the continued use of the statin.
According to a meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018 “CoQ10 supplementation ameliorated statin‐associated muscle symptoms, implying that CoQ10 supplementation may be a complementary approach to manage statin‐induced myopathy. (1)
2) Developing “congestive heart failure”. Congestive heart failure often develops in the elderly when the heart muscle can’t contract effectively enough to pump blood through the heart and out to the rest of the body. Low levels of CoQ10 seem to be related to the severity of heart failure.
“Coenzyme Q10 plays an important role in conducting signals within the heart muscle and in generating energy. The concentration of coenzyme Q10 has been inversely related to the severity of heart failure. Supplementation with coenzyme Q10 may improve heart failure. Coenzyme Q10 is sometimes used because it is thought to have an acceptable safety profile, with no significant side effects”. (2)
3) Aging: Starting around age 40, coenzyme Q10 synthesis begins to decline, as greater oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction progresses, contributing to an array of conditions such as chronic fatigue, inflammation, cardiovascular, neurological conditions and more. (3)
Where Can I Get CoQ10?
CoQ10 is naturally synthesized by the body in small amounts but is also present in the diet. Oily fish like salmon and sardines, organ meats like liver and heart, as well as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, and avocados all contain CoQ10.
But even a whole foods diet rich in CoQ10 isn’t enough to offset some of the side-effects of its deficiency. You’d have to eat 60 avocados to the 100 mg. of ubiquinol, the bioactive form of CoQ10.
Ubiquinol (you-bik-win-all) or UBQH, is the active form of CoQ10 that is better absorbed than conventional CoQ10 and up to 70% more bioavailable. (4)
Whether you’re suffering from chronic fatigue with mitochondrial problems, are on a statin drug, or are experiencing congestive heart failure, talk with your health care provider about supplementing with Coenzyme Q10 in the UBQH or ubiquinol form.
CoQ10 has a good safety profile with only minor digestive issues as the most commonly reported symptoms. In my clinical practice, I recommend the ubiquinol form of CoQ10, which is available in my online store here.
It seems to me that since we are celebrating love and heart health this month, a great salmon dish is in order. Here’s a link to my all-time favorite, moist, and flavorful recipe: Pan Roasted Salmon on a Cozy Bed of Sauteed Vegetables with Tarragon.
Delicious!
1) https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.118.009835
2) https://www.cochrane.org/CD008684/VASC_coenzyme-q10-heart-failure
3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627360/
4) https://ubiquinol.org/ubiquinol-vs-coq10
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician. Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.