Scientists were caught by surprise when they first discovered Coenzyme Q10 for the first time in 1957; little did they realize it would open up untapped energy reserves within our bodies. Coenzyme Q10 serves as both an essential cofactor in mitochondrial ATP production as well as an antioxidant protecting against oxidative damage; studies have also shown supplemental Coenzyme Q10 to be an effective remedy against fatigue syndromes such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (Cordero et al. 2016 and Fukuda et al. 2019).

Fatigue is one of the main side effects reported by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment and one of the main reasons for discontinuing chemotherapy. The cause may lie with oxidative stress; fatigue in this population often indicates low levels of antioxidant coenzyme Q10 levels in blood plasma (Reference Kebapcilar Akinci and Bayraktar24).

Some randomized controlled trials conducted on cancer patients have demonstrated that supplementation with coenzyme Q10 significantly lowers MDA levels; however, results of these trials were inconclusive and more research needs to be conducted. Furthermore, some placebo-controlled studies examined how CoQ10 affected various inflammatory markers such as CRP, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha; these trials produced mixed results. Other randomized controlled trials have found supplemental CoQ10 improves cardiovascular disease risk factors and lipid parameters; the scale of benefit depends upon dosage used and duration of therapy.