Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) The Critical Full-Body Protector


By Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN with J. Erika Dworkin If you’re older, your body becomes more and more challenged


to convert the oxidized CoQ10 to ubiquinol . . . Further, as you get older your body levels of CoQ10 continue to diminish, making it even more difficult to maintain adequate levels. So, if you’re over 40, I would highly recommend taking a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol because it’s far more effectively absorbed by your body. This is one of the few supplements I consider highly beneficial for nearly all adults.


~Joseph Mercola, DO - CoQ10: The Single Most Crucial Nu- trient to Energize Every Cell in Your Body, December 2009


know why? Y


What Is CoQ10? Coenzymes, which cannot function independently, work with enzymes to initiate or support their various biochemical functions. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is critical to the chain of metabolic chemi- cal reactions that generate cellular energy (ATP) and enable oxygen utilization. It is an antioxidant (neutralizes disease-promoting free radicals) that is highly concentrated in organs with higher energy re- quirements (especially those that manufacture it, the heart, kidneys, liver, and pancreas), but it is also found in every cell of the body and requires fat for absorption and storage


Available Forms & Dosage Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish (salmon,


sardines, mackerel; ideally wild-caught), beef and organ meats (ide- ally organic; both are unhealthy for other reasons), and chicken and eggs (ideally organic). Much lower CoQ10 amounts derive from these fresh, raw, unprocessed vegetarian sources in descending or- der: spinach; broccoli; peanuts (not an optimal source, as they are high in saturated fat and mold); wheat germ; and whole grains.


Take it with Fat


CoQ10 is also available as a dietary supplement in two forms: (1) ubiquinone, the oxidized form, which the body partially con-


24 Natural Nutmeg - April 2015


ou may have heard of Coenzyme Q10 from your physician or television commercials. You may even have considered taking it because “you know it is good for you,” but do you


verts to ubiquinol and has weaker antioxidant activity; and (2) ubiquinol (CoQH2-10), the active, reduced form that is absorbed up to eight times better than ubiquinone and is available in numerous brands from only one manufacturer, Kaneka. Taking it with a fat en- hances absorption. While oral supplementation of CoQ10 increases plasma, lipoprotein, and blood vessel levels, it is unclear whether it increases tissue levels in healthy individuals. However, scientific studies indicate that supplementation may increase CoQ10 levels in tissues that are deficient (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008 Feb; Biogerontology. 2002; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998). Appropriate dosage depends on each particular patient’s health status.


Scientific Support for CoQ10 Supplementation The antioxidant CoQ10 appears to function through multi-tar-


geted mechanisms and directly influences the expression of multiple genes involved in aging, especially those regulating inflammation. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and epigenetic mechanisms com- bine to offer impressive protection for the body’s many systems. A few are discussed here.


Aging


Greater oxidative damage to mitochondria, cellular power houses that generate energy, reduces life span. Since CoQ10 is an essential component of the mitochondrial energy transfer system, reduced levels increase mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerate aging. Adding CoQ10 back to ailing or aging mitochondria, how- ever, enables them to burn energy more cleanly and efficiently and thus slow aging.


Brain Support (Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s) Mitochondrial dysfunction from chronic oxidation, and the


resulting chronic inflammation, is a root cause of various neurode- generative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Accumulated oxidative stress leads to production and deposi- tion of an abnormal protein called amyloid β-peptide, which itself triggers more oxidation and inflammation. By slowing oxidant damage, CoQ10 reduces deposition of destructive amyloid β-peptide proteins. (J Mol Neurosci. 2008 Feb) It has also been shown to cause amyloid β to destabilize after it is formed. (Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005 Apr).


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