Coenzyme Q10 is an essential energy-producing enzyme and powerful antioxidant, fighting free radicals which damage our cells and accelerate aging processes.

Studies show that supplementing with Coenzyme Q10 significantly lowers blood pressure and improves exercise capacity in those living with heart disease, while potentially slowing or even halting Alzheimer’s progression.

What is CoQ10?

Coenzyme Q10 can be found in nearly every cell of your body and helps fuel heart, lungs, muscles and other organs with high energy demands as well as acting as an antioxidant.

CoQ10 acts as a coenzyme to facilitate cellular reactions by donating electrons to other molecules, and is essential for producing energy-carrying chemical ATP. Furthermore, CoQ10 serves as an antioxidant against mitochondrial dysfunction-related oxidative stress and acts as an effective way of counteracting it.

CoQ10 levels are most concentrated in cells of the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas – these organs perform their most critical jobs every day – while studies indicate low CoQ10 levels may contribute to cardiovascular disease or other chronic conditions.

CoQ10 production by the body naturally decreases with age; supplementation may restore its levels and help protect against functional decline associated with ageing.

CoQ10 can be found in food, particularly fatty cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, herring and mackerel – three ounces provides approximately one quarter of your daily CoQ10 requirements! Other good sources are poultry, red meat, whole grains, vegetable oils such as soybean, canola and olive oils and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that its absorption is enhanced when taken with food that contains fat such as oily fish or an omega-3 rich oil like canola or olive. If possible, take CoQ10 alongside oily fish to maximize absorption into your system.

CoQ10 plays an essential role in the production of ATP; however, it’s also an effective scavenger of free radicals, helping reduce formation of lipid peroxidation in plasma membranes and regenerating antioxidants such as a-tocopherol and ascorbate.

CoQ10 plays an essential role in maintaining optimal pH levels for digestion of cell debris and also promotes cell growth and skin health.

How Does CoQ10 Work?

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant produced in your mitochondria of cells. These specialized structures produce energy through an oxidative phosphorylation process; CoQ10 plays a vital role here by helping electron transfer for producing ATP energy currency within cells. Furthermore, it protects mitochondrial membranes against damage by providing antioxidant support.

Virtually every cell in your body requires CoQ10 for proper cellular respiration, with bloodstream-derived CoQ10 providing electrons necessary for this process to take place. As an antioxidant, CoQ10 prevents fatty acid oxidation in liver and other organs as well as superoxide production during ATP synthesis by acting to scavenge this reactive oxygen species (ROS).

CoQ10 supplementation may also help regulate blood sugar levels for those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus, with studies suggesting that insulin resistance associated with this form may be caused by lower coenzyme Q10 levels; conversely, CoQ10 therapy could possibly restore levels of insulin sensitivity among these patients.

Low levels of CoQ10 have been linked with various diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular issues. Further investigation will need to be completed in order to ascertain a definitive correlation between these diseases and low CoQ10 levels.

One theory holds that low levels of CoQ10 could lead to an increase in oxidative stress, since this leads to free radical formation that damages DNA in your cells and leads to mutation. CoQ10’s ability to neutralize these free radicals and block their oxidation could lower risks associated with cancer, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.

Low levels of CoQ10 may also be linked with reduced mitochondrial function as people age, since mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of your cells and generate the energy that fuels daily activities like working and playing sports. As people get older, their mitochondrial function tends to decline, possibly contributing to conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Some studies suggest that supplementing elderly individuals’ diet with selenium and coenzyme Q10 could improve cognitive functioning as well as vitality and quality of life.

Why Take CoQ10?

Many individuals swear by CoQ10 supplements as a means of keeping their hearts healthy, alleviating migraine headaches, improving Parkinson’s symptoms and delaying dementia and the aging process. Skeptics contend these claims are unsubstantiated research findings and that more comprehensive long-term clinical trials must be conducted before being accepted as fact.

Coenzyme Q10 can be found in every cell and serves as an effective antioxidant, fighting free radicals which cause various forms of cell damage and disease such as cardiovascular issues and cancer. CoQ10 helps neutralize these potentially damaging molecules to prevent them from damaging cell membranes, altering DNA or inducing cell death.

CoQ10 plays an essential role in mitochondrial energy production, providing our cells with basic fuel they require to function. However, as we age the amount of ATP produced by our mitochondria tends to diminish; CoQ10 may help increase its levels. Furthermore, high concentrations can be found in organs like the heart and liver so its benefits have also been used for optimal cardiovascular health.

Studies indicate that it may also reduce inflammation in the body, a factor associated with metabolic diseases like diabetes, obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. More specifically, TNF-a and CGRP markers were noted as being decreased.

CoQ10 also helps reduce oxidative stress in the brain, which has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. Some early research indicates it could reduce seizures for epilepsy sufferers while increasing cognitive function for Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia patients.

CoQ10 should be safe for most people to take, although anyone with specific health conditions should consult their physician first before beginning therapy with it. CoQ10 may interact with some medications – particularly blood thinners and certain chemotherapies – so before trying it it may be wise to consult your healthcare provider first. CoQ10 shouldn’t be taken together with statin drugs used to lower cholesterol as too much can reduce their effectiveness while too little could potentially lower blood sugar levels to unsafe levels for those living with diabetes.

CoQ10 Benefits

CoQ10 is an essential cofactor in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation reactions, and also an excellent antioxidant agent with protective effects against free radical damage and inflammation (Geromel & Beal 2008). Cell membranes and circulatory lipoproteins may be protected against damage caused by CoQ10 through its protective effects against free radical production (Geromel & Beal 2008).

Studies have demonstrated that supplementing with CoQ10 improves exercise performance by decreasing oxidative stress and fatigue. Unfortunately, its exact mechanisms remain unknown; one theory holds that CoQ10 enhances the ability of phagocytic cells to destroy invading pathogens by directly modulating cytokines; or it might prevent the breakdown of ATP in lysosomal compartment by increasing activity of V-ATPase enzyme required for maintaining neutral pH conditions inside lumen and for producing protons required for oxidative phosphorylation which are necessary functions required for functioning of this organelle.

People living with diabetes and taking certain anti-diabetics are at an increased risk for low levels of CoQ10. It is thought that these conditions cause decreased production of ATP, leading to an increase in oxidative stress markers and other metabolic diseases that could increase oxidative stress and metabolic diseases. A 2018 meta-analysis suggested that CoQ10 may help improve blood sugar control and insulin resistance as well as decrease advanced glycation end products in those suffering from diabetes.

Initial studies suggest that CoQ10 may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease; however, further research must be completed in order to confirm these preliminary findings. CoQ10 may also help treat other neurodegenerative conditions, including progressive supranuclear palsy, Huntington’s disease and amytrophic lateral sclerosis.

CoQ10 can help treat heart failure and neurological disorders, but is also used with other supplements to treat migraine headaches, low sperm count, cancer, muscular dystrophy and gum disease. Studies also show its anti-Parkinson’s effect as well as possible antineoplastic (cancer fighting) effects; one small trial demonstrated this fact when two out of six cancer patients who received 300 milligrams per day went into full remission after just three months!