Over the years, coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 for short, has become increasingly popular as a supplement. The powerful antioxidant, which is also known as “ubiquinone,” due to its being ubiquitous, or present in every single cell in our bodies, is an important part of the mitochondria, the portion of the cell that makes energy. CoQ10 helps create something called ATP, which is the chief energy source for cellular reactions.
Although CoQ10 is found throughout the entire body, studies have found that it is especially concentrated in those areas of our bodies that use up tons of energy, like the kidneys, liver, and heart. If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense; since your heart beats all day, every day and uses a lot of cellular energy, it only stands to reason that the nutrient that helps create this energy in the first place would be extremely prevalent in this part of your body.
Taking CoQ10 in supplement form has been linked to helping with a variety of conditions that affect the heart. For example, CoQ10 has been shown to help improve the cardiovascular function of patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure, or CHF. In one study, over 2,600 subjects with CHF were given 100 mg of CoQ10 daily for about 12 weeks. After this period of time was over, most of the patients saw an improvement in multiple symptoms of CHF, including venous congestion, edema, and heart palpitations. Two other studies have also resulted in similar findings.
CoQ10 has also had a positive effect on people diagnosed with high blood pressure. Research has found that taking the supplement every day from one to three months resulted in about a 10 percent reduction in both the systolic and diastolic readings.
As impressive as CoQ10 appears to be for heart health, it may also help with other conditions. For example, our immune systems appear to just love it when we supplement with the nutrient. After all, the cells in our immune systems also use up a lot of energy on a daily basis.
In addition, people with gum disease have found a lot of relief after supplementing with CoQ10. Interestingly, folks with periodontal disease also tend to be super low on CoQ10. Some have found that taking about 50 mg of CoQ10 daily led to less pain, redness and bleeding in the gums.
Although our bodies do make some of the CoQ10 that we need for good health, as we get older this ability starts to decrease Since CoQ10 is so vital for our overall well-being, it stands to reason that supplementing with it is a prudent choice
References:
Murray, Michael T., Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, 1996, pages 296-303
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