What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 is an essential nutrient that is found in every cell of your body. You produce CoQ10 up until around the age of 30 when production starts to decrease and deficiency signs can begin to show.How does CoQ10 work?
CoQ10 is involved in every single degree of energy production in your body. Energy production cannot happen without CoQ10. It is found in highest concentrations in your heart muscle, where energy demand is very high. CoQ10, as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger, helps reduce oxidative stress in your body. It has the unique ability to regenerate and prolong the antioxidant activity of Vitamin E by regenerating oxidised Vitamin E back to its original antioxidant form. As a fat-soluble antioxidant, CoQ10 reduces the oxidation of fats (which is what makes fats dangerous in your body) helping to maintain and stabilise healthy blood vessels. Because all cellular functions are dependent on energy production, CoQ10 is essential for the health of every cell in your body.Who would benefit from taking CoQ10?
- Anyone over 30. Your body’s ability to produce CoQ10 decreases after the age of 27, which means that as you age your levels of CoQ10 decrease, thus increasing the risk of deficiency.
- Those who exercise regularly. Physical exercise markedly depletes muscle CoQ10 levels. CoQ10 supports stamina, endurance and assists during physical exercise and with post-exercise recovery.
- Those who take Statin medications as they adversely impact your body’s production of CoQ10. Other medications may also lead to a CoQ10 deficiency.
- Migraine sufferers. Dysfunctional cellular energy production is proposed as a cause of migraine headache. CoQ10 improves energy production helping to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks and the number of migraine days.
- Chronic gum disease sufferers as they have been found to be deficient in CoQ10.
- Those with cardiovascular disease including heart failure, hypertension and angina.
- High altitude travellers.
- Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s sufferers. Dysfunctional cellular energy production is implicated in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Heart patients before cardiovascular surgery, to help reduce complications and speed-up recovery.
What may cause a CoQ10 deficiency?
- Nutritional deficiencies in your diet may impair or reduce production of CoQ10
- The natural process of ageing sees a decrease in your body’s ability to produce CoQ10
- Various medications can reduce CoQ10;
- Excessive physical exertion or illness can deplete CoQ10
