CoQ10 and its benefits
Have you heard of people taking CoQ10? You might not know what it is but don’t worry we’ve done the research for you! Here is some basic information on what CoQ10 is and what it is good for.
CoQ10 also known as Ubiquinone (or Ubiquinol) is an enzyme that aids the body’s function. This substance helps deliver energy to the cells and also has profound antioxidant properties. CoQ10 is stored in the mitochondria of the cells and aids in the production of ATP (your body's energy source). Most of the time the body can make CoQ10 but the production tends to slow down with age.
People have taken CoQ10 for many reasons in the past but one of the main reasons is related to heart disease/ failure. It is noted that people with heart disease have lower levels of CoQ10 but we are not certain if this is a by-product of the disease or if it is a causation.
People believe that since this enzyme is anti-inflammatory there are great benefits to the heart. NCBI says “There are some new studies that establish anti-inflammatory properties of COQ10 possibly by means of nitric oxide’s regulation, and that mechanism may be effective in heart failure treatment [20, 21]. Thus, the cytokines’ and chemokines’ secretion wouldn’t induce myocardial fibrosis and lead to Heart Failure (HF) development [22].” (NCBI 2018)
In other studies CoQ10 has helped patients with heart failure lessen the risk of atrial fibrillation (https://jim.bmj.com/content/63/5/735.abstract 2015)
Another disorder that Coq10 has been seen to improve is mitochondrial myopathy (the weakening of muscles). In an article by webmd they say that, “Taking coenzyme Q10 by mouth seems to reduce symptoms of mitochondrial myopathies. However, improvement in symptoms is slow. Some people have to take coenzyme Q10 for 6 months to get the most benefit.”
Here are some other potential benefits of CoQ10. These will need to be studied more to confirm that they are truly beneficial.
-Migraines (people have observed less CoQ10 in migraine patients American Academy of Neurology 2004)
-Nerve pain (Research shows that taking coenzyme Q10 improves nerve damage and nerve pain in people with nerve damage caused by diabetes. Web MD)
-Brain health (“CoQ10 has been shown to protect brain cells from oxidative damage and reduce the action of harmful compounds that can lead to brain disease.” Healthline 2017)
-Viral myocarditis (Thus, pretreatment with COQ10 may reduce the severity of viral myocarditis in mice decreasing oxidative stress in the condition [77]. NCBI 2018)
As a young person you should be able to make all the CoQ10 you need or at least get more from your foods, I.E. healthy animal organs, fatty fish, certain legumes and more… Give your body an antioxidant boost with CoQ10!
As always consult a doctor if you are having heart issues and want to try coq10!
SOURCES
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-938/coenzyme-q10
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coenzyme-q10#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131403/
https://jim.bmj.com/content/63/5/735.abstract
https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/185