Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is an oil-soluble, vitamin-like substance in most cells, primarily in the mitochondria, and is required for the production of energy. Ninety-five percent of the human body’s energy is generated this way, and so those organs with the highest energy requirements - such as the heart, liver and kidney - have the highest CoQ10 concentrations.
There are three major factors that lead to deficiency of CoQ10 in humans:
- insufficient CoQ10 in the diet
- reduced biosynthesis (the manufacture of CoQ10 by the body from nutrients in food)
- increased use of CoQ10 by the body
Biosynthesis is a multistep process requiring many other nutrients, so a diet low in nutrients may lead to decreased biosynthesis. Biosynthesis also can be affected by
- Ageing - in individuals older than 20 years, CoQ10 levels in internal organs are reduced
- Medications such as statins, blood thinners, etc.
- Chronic disease conditions such as cancer, heart disease, etc.
- Ultraviolet exposure
As CoQ10 is only soluble in oil, not water, oil-filled softgel capsules were once the best way of taking CoQ10, but recently, better results have been proven by increasing its solubility in water. Earthrise Foods CoQ10 capsules provide significant increases in absorption by the body than softgel capsules.
CoQ10 helps to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and there is normally evidence of CoQ10 deficiency in heart failure - CoQ10 defiency is now known to be detrimental to the long-term prognosis of chronic heart failure.
Supplementation of CoQ10 has also been found to have a beneficial effect on the condition of some sufferers of migraine headaches.
A large meta-analysis concluded that CoQ10 administered to patients with high blood pressure has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side-effects.
Studies have shown that diseased gum tissue is deficient in CoQ10 compared to healthy gum tissue, and human clinical trials have shown a link between oral administration of CoQ10 and improved gum health, immune response in gum tissues, and reversal of diseased gum conditions.
A 2002 study of 80 patients with Parkinson's disease found that 1200 mg/day reduced the progression by 44%
Natural sources of CoQ10 include:
- Beef, pork and chicken heart
- Soybean oil
- Beef and pork liver
- Olive and grapeseed oil
(Cooking by frying reduces CoQ10 content by 14–32%)
