Coenzyme Q10 Benefits of CoQ10

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CoQ10 is essential to energy production in the body. Without sufficient CoQ10, none of the systems in the body can function optimally because they simply do not have enough fuel to do their job. The systems most sensitive to deficiencies are those with high energy needs such as the cardiovascular and immune systems. In addition to energy production, CoQ10 also offers important antioxidant protection in the cells. It is believed that the combination of antioxidant protection and energy production creates the clinically documented benefits people experience when they supplement with CoQ10. As with all nutrients, the most bioavailable form is that found in whole food. A recent study concluded that whole food CoQ10 offered 9.6 times more antioxidant activity than the isolated chemical USP form found in almost all supplements.

CoQ10 is a vitamin-like substance required by the body to transform food into cellular energy. Amazingly, it is so essential to life processes that, without it, life would cease to exist in a matter of minutes! How can this be? To answer this question, let’s back up a few steps and take a microscopic look at the cells in our body. Each of our cells are self-contained little units with their own tasks, agendas and needs. Just as the whole body requires energy to work, so does each individual cell. Our cells produce energy to fuel their work and that, in turn, fuels the entire body. The mitochondria within each cell are the energy generators. If our cells (or bodies) were automobiles, the mitochondria would be the engines, and food would be the gasoline.

This is when CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone, enters the picture. During digestion, much of what we eat is converted to glucose to be used as fuel. However, the mitochondria must further reduce the glucose before it is usable by the cells. To accomplish this, the cell and its mitochondria use several complicated processes and substances that convert glucose to ATP, or cellular energy. CoQ10 is required for these processes.

Although CoQ10 may be synthesized in the body and found in food, deficiencies do exist. Refining and processing robs our food supply of this essential nutrient. Moreover, to synthesize CoQ10, the body must have a healthy liver and an adequate supply of other nutrients that are also often lacking in the diet. Consequently, after about age 35, CoQ10 levels in the body begin to diminish. Studies have shown that if levels decline by 25%, our bodies won’t have enough cellular energy to stay healthy. A decline of 75% is fatal.

To understand the enormous impact CoQ10 levels have on our health, we must keep in mind that diminished cellular energy is different from our colloquial use of the word “energy”. In common language, we often say “I don’t have the energy to______.” Rarely are we referring to life sustaining activities. The statement usually refers to leisure activities, housework, an evening out, or physical exercise. While any of these things may improve our health, our immediate survival does not depend upon them. Such is not the case with cellular energy. Our lives do, literally, depend upon our cells having enough energy to do their work. Consider for a moment heart cells. Heart cells have one job-to sustain rhythmic contraction and release in the heart muscle so that oxygen and nutrient rich blood is delivered to the cells and oxygen-depleted, carbon dioxide rich blood is carried away. If these cells don’t have enough energy to do their work, you have an immediate, major, life threatening problem. Your heart cells don’t have the luxury of reclining on the sofa until their “energy” returns!

When scientists and researchers first began to study CoQ10, they found the highest concentrations in the heart, the immune system and the liver. This makes sense as these are also the cells that require the most energy. Focusing on these CoQ10 hungry cells, research and clinical trials began to reveal some very impressive findings and results. They first found that people with poor health have insufficient levels of CoQ10 in their systems while healthy people have normal levels of this vital nutrient. This finding lead scientists to explore the effects of supplementing with oral CoQ10. Truthfully, their findings have been remarkable. A multitude of clinical trials demonstrated that CoQ10 is very useful in the treatment and prevention of congestive heart failure, angina, arrhythmia, myocardial degeneration and high blood pressure. In one study 80% of patients with severe congestive cardiomyopathy showed significant improvement after they began supplementing daily with CoQ10. In another, over 50% of high blood pressure patients were able to eliminate their hypertension medications after 5 months of daily CoQ10 use.

The American Heart Associations rank the severity of a patient’s heart disease with a class system. This system ranges from mild Class I heart disease to severe Class IV heart disease. Often clinical trials use this ranking system when evaluating their participants’ progress. In England, an eight year clinical trial of patients with various cardiovascular diseases found 58% of the participants improved by one Heart Association Class; 28% improved by two classes! This same study also found significant improvement in the thickness of the left ventricular wall of the heart and mitral valve flow. CoQ10 is such a powerful ally in heart health that Japanese physicians recommend it regularly to over 12 million of their patients. Imagine the positive effects of supplementing with CoQ10 before serious problems develop! The Medical Hypotheses journal published in England suggested that preventative supplements would be more useful as “insurance” if CoQ10 was regularly included.

Studies on CoQ10 and the immune system have resulted in similar findings. Like the cardiovascular system, the immune system is highly energy-dependent. After all, it has a huge job. Conditions such as allergies, Candida overgrowth, cancer, AIDS, chronic fatigue, and periodontal disease are all a result of immune system dysfunction. Immune system function does decline with age, stress and poor nutrition. Fortunately, studies reveal that CoQ10′s effect on the immune system is as beneficial as its effect on the cardiovascular system. Numerous clinical trials have documented an overall improvement in immune system function among the participants using CoQ10 daily.

CoQ10 improves function of the cardiovascular and immune systems simply by providing the cells with the raw material they need to function optimally. It allows the cells, and therefore the systems, to express their full potential. Without sufficient CoQ10, these systems (along with many others) are handicapped. There is simply no way they can perform their jobs at the level needed to sustain good health-they don’t have the energy!

CoQ10 protects our health in yet another profoundly significant way. As CoQ10 levels decline, the incidence of symptoms we associate with aging tend to increase. This is related not just to insufficient cellular energy, but also to CoQ10′s antioxidant activity. Too little oxygen in a cell results in a lack of energy; too much results in free radical damage. CoQ10 balances the oxygen through adding or subtracting oxygen from biologically active molecules. This is why it is important to actually have more CoQ10 in the cell than is required for ATP production. The excess CoQ10 is able to offer superior antioxidant protection while at the same time enabling the cell to produce its full capacity of energy.

Supplementing the diet with any nutrient is always a tricky business. There is no question among researchers, scientists and healthcare providers that the safest, most effective forms of nutrients are those in whole food forms. The reason for this is actually quite simple. In food, no one compound occurs in isolation. A multitude of compounds travel together, supporting and enhancing each other’s efficacy and efficiency. This cooperation naturally produces checks and balances that promote safety and potency. Conversely, in most supplements, what you find is one, chemically manufactured, isolated USP compound. Sometimes companies add a few other ingredients to support the active ingredient, but that does not even begin to replicate the complexity and synergy found in whole food. This lack of complexity and synergy makes it necessary to take much higher doses of isolated nutrients than one actually needs. This is due to the fact that we are not certain how much of an isolated nutrient the body is able to absorb and utilize; neither are we certain how much a nutrient’s efficacy may be diminished by the absence of its traveling companions.

Thankfully, it is now possible to purchase supplements that are 100% whole food. In these supplements, there are no compounds in isolation. All the nutrients are traveling with the support of their naturally occurring companions and allies. The synergistic benefits inherent in this “companionship” are multiple. Dr. Joe Vinson, Professor of Chemistry at University of Scranton, found that whole food CoQ10 offered 9.6 times more antioxidant activity than an identical potency of isolated USP CoQ10. That is a significant difference! Not only is whole food CoQ10 more bioavailable and active in the body, it also provides the health-enhancing compounds found in the naturally occurring co-factors or “companions”.

The body’s need for CoQ10 never diminishes. As long as we are breathing, we need CoQ10. After a deficiency has occurred, studies indicate that it takes some time for tissue levels to rebuild. For this reason, it is advisable to supplement with CoQ10 for at least 5-6 months before evaluating its beneficial effects.

Eliza Secrist is a Certified Nutritionist and Wellness Consultant. The former Director of a Women’s Resource Center and the Clinic Manager of a Women’s Health Center, she has been teaching and counseling for 10 years.

Side Effects of CoQ10

Side effects have been reported as “not serious”. We believe all side effects including those side effects of CoQ10 have the potential to be serious. Side effects in our research are typically noted as “insomnia, dizziness, gastrointestinal”. The prevalence of side effects is low, however no one should supplement without the help of a qualified medical professional. We believe the best choice for supplementation is a state licensed Naturopathic Physician whose practice emphasizes Nutritional Therapy. There is no point in supplementing any substance until you have been adequately tested for deficiency.

Claims, Benefits: Prevents or treats many age-related diseases, from heart disease and stroke to diabetes and cataracts.

Bottom Line: This potent and versatile antioxidant may some day be seen as a very important supplement. But for now, not enough is known to recommend it. If you have diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s and decide to take it, tell your doctor.

Full Article, Wellness Letter, August 2003: The Latest on ALA

In 1999 we looked at a relatively new antioxidant supplement called alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and concluded that it might one day prove to be very important, but that it was too early to recommend it. Since then more studies on it have been done. Is the evidence today strong enough to support its use?

Scientists first discovered the importance of ALA in the 1950s, and recognized it as an antioxidant in 1988. It has been the subject of a tremendous amount of basic research around the world, some being done at the University of California, Berkeley by Dr. Lester Packer, a leading expert on antioxidants.

The body needs ALA to produce energy. It plays a crucial role in the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells. The body actually makes enough ALA for these basic metabolic functions. This compound acts as an antioxidant, however, only when there is an excess of it and it is in the “free” state in the cells. But there is little free ALA circulating in your body, unless you consume supplements or get it injected. Foods contain only tiny amounts of it. What makes ALA special as an antioxidant is its versatility—it helps deactivate an unusually wide array of cell-damaging free radicals in many bodily systems.

In particular, ALA helps protect the mitochondria and the genetic material, DNA. As we age, mitochondrial function is impaired, and it’s theorized that this may be an important contributor to some of the adverse effects of aging. ALA also works closely with vitamin C and E and some other antioxidants, “recycling” them and thus making them much more effective.

ALA is being studied in animals and in humans as a preventive and/or treatment for many age-related diseases. These range from heart disease and stroke to diabetes and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as declines in energy, muscle strength, brain function, and immunity. It is also being studied for HIV disease and multiple sclerosis. In Germany, in particular, it is already prescribed to treat long-term complications of diabetes, such as nerve damage, thought to result in part from free-radical damage; there is also evidence that it can help decrease insulin resistance and thus help control blood sugar. Many studies have yielded promising results; others are still underway.

Add some carnitine

One of the best-known proponents of ALA is Dr. Bruce Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has helped develop and study an ALA supplement called Juvenon, which has been patented by UC Berkeley. Juvenon, in addition, contains another promising compound, acetyl-L-carnitine, which is also involved in energy production in the mitochondria. Ames and his colleagues have found that high doses of these compounds, in combination, enable elderly rats to function like younger ones. Of course, the same results may not occur in humans. Human studies are just getting started.

Why it is still too soon to act

Though evidence has been accumulating, it is clear that the research on ALA is still in its early stages. Large, long-term, well-controlled studies on human are needed. No one knows what dose should be used for what ailment. Most studies have used 100 to 600 milligrams a day, but higher doses have also been studied.

Though ALA so far appears to be safe, the long-term effects of large supplemental doses are unknown. If ALA is as powerful as it seems, there may be a danger in too much of a good thing. In addition, while in Germany it is sold only by prescription and (like other supplements) is monitored by the government, in the U.S. you have no way of knowing what’s in the bottles.

Bottom line: We still advise waiting until more research has been done. If you have diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s, you may be unwilling to wait. In that case, talk to your doctor before taking ALA. The supplement may, for instance, affect the dosage of your diabetes medication.

Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

Thus, supplementation becomes important, but how much to supplement? That is always the question as vitamins are only useful if they are bio-available and dosed in the correct amount for our own unique body chemistry. If you choose to supplement try to consume CoQ10 with a meal that contains some form of fat which allows youru body to absorb this fat soluble nutrient better. Consult your physician before taking large doses of CoQ10 (or any supplement for that matter). You should also contact your physician if you are taking any other medication related to any heart condition. I am currently researching this antioxidant and would encourage you to read up on this enzyme via case studies and clinical trials. I will post more information as I feel CoQ10 may be one of the most vital supplements we can take. Unfortunately like so many of the vitamins discovered in the past 30 or 50 years (Q10 was identified in 1957) there is still so much research to be done. CoQ10 holds out tremendous promise. The body of research continues to grow, and in addition to an array of heart benefits, CoQ10′s antioxidant properties may be useful in cancer treatments, diabetes, periodontal disease, and obesity. One of my concerns – with supplementation of any nutritional vitamin, herb, or mineral – is always the purity of the supplement, the “additives” that are used (i.e. fillers), and impurities introduced in the manufacturing process. It’s better to error on the side of a lower dosage than a higher one.

1. Small Red Beans (Dried)
2. Wild Blueberries
3. Red Kidney Beans
4. Pinto Beans
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
6. Cranberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
8. Blackberries
9. Prunes
10. Raspberries

If you enjoy Mexican entrees be sure to go heavy on the beans and light on the cheese, tortilla (full of lard and refined white flour), sour cream, and sauces which may contain Mono Sodium Glutimate. I love Mexican food and find it quite easy to order a “salad” with multiple beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lettuces. Very tasty and it’s easy to avoid the “bad” part of the entrees. There really is no easier way to enjoy Berries than with a fresh bowl of oatmeal (I like to top mine off with a small amount of Organic Rice Milk). On an interesting side note while it’s very easy to find Organic Berries, most berries – blueberries and cranberries in particular require the use of little or no pesticide as insects seem to avoid them. It should also be noted that there are hundreds of micronutrients in berries that work together to help cleanse and strengthen your body. So for the same reasons you would eat orange peel rind (the white part) and not just taje a “Vitamin C” tablet in order to get the full benefit of the “C Complex”, or a “Vitamin A” supplement which would exclude the 100′s of other Carotene substances, you should wash and eat the whole food skin and all for the most benefit. If the food is not organic then go ahead and peel it first as most grocery store foods are heavily sprayed with preservatives and waxes to make it look better under the store lights. I would also suggest purchasing a juicer (You may need a couple of types of juicers for different types of foods) for foods which are difficult to eat in quantity. We’ll cover this more in a different area. For now just try to work into your diet organic whole foods that contain Antioxidants.

A lot of damage is done by free radicals in mitochondria (damage to mitochondrial DNA, which is very much exposed to free radicals because of where its location between the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes; and the enzymes that copy it don’t do error-checking/correction, as the ones that copy the nuclear DNA do). Most antioxidants, however (including vitamin C and vitamin E) can’t get into mitochondria for various reasons (e.g. because it’s charged). But a group of scientists in Russia (led by V. Skulachev) has created a custom antioxidant (“Skulachev ion” is forming the point of the molecule and penetrates the mitochondrial membrane and the “antioxidising” part is attached behind it) that can enter the mitochondria and stays there preventing damage to DNA.

You hear the term Antioxidant – what are Antioxidants and what do they do?

An antioxidant is a chemical that prevents the oxidation of other chemicals. In biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation (plus a minor contribution from ionizing radiation) produce highly reactive free radicals (In chemistry, free radicals are uncharged atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons or an otherwise open shell configuration. These unpaired electrons are highly reactive, so free radicals are likely to take part in chemical reactions.) These can readily react with and damage other molecules: in some cases the body uses this to fight infection. In other cases, the damage may be to the body’s own cells. The presence of extremely easily oxidisable compounds in the system can “mop up” free radicals before they damage other essential molecules.

So you take antioxidant vitamins supplements to reduce the number of “free radicals”. The problem is blood chemistry is a very delicate balancing act. Certain Antioxidants are readily excreted and not stored by the body (Vitamin C as Ascorbic Acid), however other Vitamins such as the Synthetic form of Vitamin A may accumulate in the tissues and do more harm than good. As a general rule it’s always better to get your vitamin from real organic natural food sources.

Antioxidant Vitamins from Whole Foods – The following vitamins have shown positive antioxidant effects:

Vitamin A – Beta-Carotene

Retinol (Vitamin A or beta-carotene) has been discovered to protect dark green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits from solar radiation damage, and is thought to play a similar role in human body. Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots are particularly rich sources of beta-carotene a precursor to one of the most well known antioxidant vitamins – Vitamin A.

Ascorbic Acid – Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is a water-soluble compound that fulfills this role, among others, in living systems. Important sources include citrus fruits (like oranges, sweet lime, etc.), green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, raw cabbage and tomatoes. In it’s synthetic form (i.e. pill or capsule) it is usually bound with calcium or sodium as a buffer so it will not upset your stomach. Straight ascorbic acid powder should probably be avoided (Unless directed by a physician) or taken only with meals as it is highly acidic.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is fat soluble and protects lipids. Sources include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and fish-liver oil. It’s actually hard for many individuals to get enough Vitamin E from their everyday diet so they choose to supplement. If you do this it’s generally acknowledged to keep our supplementation to 400iu per day or less. Recent studies have suggested that high levels of supplementation in a controlled group of Heart Patients actually resulted in more deaths than the patients taking placebo. As with most foods, vitamins, drugs, or herbs the key is getting the “right amount”.

Selenium

Selenium is best obtained through foods, as large doses of the supplement form can be toxic. Good food sources include fish, shellfish, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken and garlic. Vegetables can also be a good source if grown in selenium-rich soils. I am personally an egg eater (I prefer Eggland’s Best Cage Free Vegetarian Fed Brown Eggs). I eat about 3/4 dozen per week. I do not believe that cholesterol from eggs is going to cause my body to build up mass blockages in my arteries. In fact if you read the purpose of cholesterol in your body you will find it is a very beneficial substance. They may sell 10 Billion Dollars of the Cholesterol lowering Drug Lipitor each year but are they curing heart disease? NO! It’s about the money. Why do the arteries clog and not the veins? (Veins return blood to the heart). It’s because of tears in the arteries due to a variety of factors the cholesterol accumulates (It does so to repair the damage). If you want to lower your cholesterol there are many ways to do it naturally through dietary changes which we will not get into on this page. Just think – foods that are good for the liver are good for the heart.

Several food additives (including ascorbic acid and tocopherol-derived compounds) are used as antioxidants to help guard against deterioration of food. Please be cautious of food additives as many contain other “masked” impurities that are harmful. For example Textured Soy Protein sounds innocent enough until you find out it masks a significant portion of Monosodium Glutamate MSG. And when selecting vitamins your best bet is to stick to well known brands that adhere to some kind of normalization and testing procedures. Periodically consumer reports will test vitamins for purity and the results are not unsurprising. Many vitamins are full of impurities and do not have anywhere near the stated amount of the active ingredient. They also contain a significant portion of “fillers” that do your body no good. Get your vitamins from fresh organic foods whenever possible.