CoQ10, coenzyme Q10, or ubiquinone, is a fat-soluble compound that the body uses to support 95% of its energy requirements. It helps the body convert glucose into a form of energy that the cells can use. It is therefore responsible for the generation of energy in the cell. This natural enzyme occurs in high concentrations in body organs, particularly in the kidneys, liver and heart.
As an antioxidant, CoQ10 defends the body against the negative effects of oxidative stress by destroying free radicals, since free radical formation in the body has destructive effects on body cells. CoQ10 also possesses the ability to revive other antioxidants like ascorbic acid and tocopherol.
Normally, the body is able to synthesize CoQ10 from other vitamins, but this conversion process is influenced by many factors. Age, diet, exercise, various diseases and medications can cause CoQ10 production in the body to slow down.
Furthermore, foods like tuna, beef, pork and chicken are good sources of CoQ10, but the body’s ability to convert these nutrients declines along with aging. In the same way, vigorous physical activity and stress, chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, and certain prescription drugs, such as beta blockers and statins, all have an adverse effect on CoQ10 levels. When the levels of CoQ10 in the body are reduced, it may lead to health problems, like muscle pain and chronic fatigue.
Various clinical studies indicate that Coenzyme Q10 is needed by the body to maintain optimum health. Patients suffering from congestive heart failure were shown to have experienced a considerable improvement in cardiac function without having any untoward drug reactions or negative side effects.
Meanwhile, a multi-center trial of Parkinson’s disease patients taking ubiquinone, or CoQ10, had a reduced amount of functional decline. A study of 80 patients taking CoQ10 supplements daily demonstrated a 44% reduction in the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Animal studies on the two different forms of CoQ10, ubiquinol and ubiquinone, conclude that CoQ10 provides better protection from a neurotoxin associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Research findings have also illustrated the benefits of CoQ10 in chronic kidney diseases. Moreover, CoQ10 deficiencies are definitively connected to periodontal or gum disease. Dietary supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 promotes healthy gums and reverses gingival disease.
The body can achieve peak blood levels of CoQ10 by ingesting it in the form of a food supplement. CoQ10 products exist as tablets and pills that can be taken daily. Supplementing Coenzyme Q10 in the diet by taking CoQ10 tablets as a food supplement is the best way to ensure that you achieve the overall health benefits of CoQ10 in the body and avoid the diseases associated with decreased CoQ10.
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