CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a substance that is naturally present in the human body, with the highest levels in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. CoQ10 is a compound made by your body and stored in the mitochondria of your cells.

The mitochondria are in charge of producing energy. They also protect cells from oxidative damage and disease-causing bacteria or viruses

CoQ10 plays several key roles in your body. One of its primary functions is to help generate energy in your cells. It’s involved in making adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is involved in energy transfer within cells. Its other crucial role is to serve as an antioxidant and protect cells from oxidative damage.

Source of CoQ10

Food

CoQ10 is present in Organ meats such as Heart, liver and kidney, along with muscle meats of Pork, beef and chicken. It is also present in Fatty fish such trout, herring, mackerel and sardine.

CoQ10 is also present in vegetarian source such as Spinach, cauliflower and broccoli. It is also present in fruits like oranges and strawberries. CoQ10 can be available in other food sources like Soybeans, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, pistachios.

Supplement

CoQ10 is easily available in the form of supplement. CoQ10 is well absorbed through supplements.

 

CoQ10 deficiency

Coenzyme Q10 deficiency causes neurological abnormalities like seizures, intellectual disability, poor muscle tone (hypotonia), involuntary muscle contractions (dystonia), progressive muscle stiffness (spasticity), abnormal eye movements (nystagmus), vision loss caused by degeneration (atrophy) of the optic nerves or breakdown of the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eyes (retinopathy), and sensorineural hearing loss (which is caused by abnormalities in the inner ear).

A type of kidney dysfunction called nephrotic syndrome is another common feature of coenzyme Q10 deficiency. A type of heart disease that enlarges and weakens the heart muscle (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) can also occur in coenzyme Q10 deficiency.

Health Benefits of CoQ10

Heart Function

Treatment with CoQ10 could assist with restoring optimal levels of energy production, reduce oxidative damage and improve heart function, all of which can aid the treatment of heart failure.

Fertility

Female fertility decreases with age due to a decline in the number and quality of available eggs. CoQ10 is directly involved in this process. As age increases, CoQ10 production slows, making the body less effective at protecting the eggs from oxidative damage. Supplementing with CoQ10 seems to help and may even reverse this age-related decline in egg quality and quantity. Similarly, male sperm is susceptible to the effects of oxidative damage, which may result in reduced sperm count, poor sperm quality and infertility.

Therefore supplementing with CoQ10 may improve sperm quality, activity and concentration by increasing antioxidant protection.

Skin Health

CoQ10 can reduce the damage from internal and external agents by increasing energy production in skin cells and promoting antioxidant protection. CoQ10 applied directly to the skin has been shown to reduce oxidative damage caused by UV rays and even decrease the depth of wrinkles

Headaches

Abnormal mitochondrial function can lead to an increased calcium uptake by the cells, the excessive production of free radicals and decreased antioxidant protection. This can result in low energy in the brain cells and even migraines

Since CoQ10 lives mainly in the mitochondria of the cells, it has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and help decrease the inflammation that may occur during migraines

Exercise Performance

Oxidative stress can affect muscle function, and thus, exercise performance. Similarly, abnormal mitochondrial function can reduce muscle energy, making it hard for muscles to contract efficiently and sustain exercise. CoQ10 can help exercise performance by decreasing oxidative stress in the cells and improving mitochondrial functions.

Moreover, supplementing with CoQ10 can help increase power during exercise and reduce fatigue, both of which can improve exercise performance.

Diabetes

CoQ10 has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels. Supplementing with CoQ10 might also help increase CoQ10 concentrations in the blood by up to three times in people with diabetes who typically show low levels of this compound.

CoQ10 might help prevent diabetes by stimulating the breakdown of fats and reducing the accumulation of fat cells that could lead to obesity or type 2 diabetes. 

Cancer Prevention

CoQ10 may protect cells from oxidative stress and promote cellular energy production, promoting their health and survival. Interestingly, cancer patients have been shown to have lower levels of CoQ10. Low levels of CoQ10 have been associated with up to a 53.3% higher risk of cancer and indicate a poor prognosis for various types of cancer

Brain Health

The brain is very susceptible to oxidative damage due to its high fatty acid content and its high demand for oxygen.

This oxidative damage enhances the production of harmful compounds that could affect memory, cognition and physical functions. CoQ10 may reduce these harmful compounds, possibly slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease 

Lungs Health

CoQ10 can reduce oxidative damage and inflammation that results in diseases of the lungs.