Coenzyme Q10 Also known as Ubiquinone, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound made naturally in the body. It is used for energy production within the cells, being that it has the ability to generate energy from oxygen to help with normal bodily processes. In addition, it is also used for cell growth and protection, which is extremely important as it protects our cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Basically, Coenzyme Q10 levels in the body reach the highest point at age 20, and it gradually declines from there. This is why Coenzyme Q10 supplements bring a lot of good when added to the daily diet. Health Benefits Coenzyme Q10 has several health benefits. They include slowing down the aging process, strengthening the heart, improving the immune function, and lowering blood pressure. Antioxidant Effect "The antioxidant effects of CoQ10 are well-established." Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant compound, and as such, taking Coenzyme Q10 supplements increases your antioxidant level in the body, protecting your cells against free radical damage. Parkinson's Disease Coenzyme Q10 is also said to be able to impart health benefits to the brain due to its antioxidant properties, protecting it against diseases such as Parkinson's. Heart Health Besides this, clinical tests have also shown that Coenzyme Q10 can help with the heart. "In heart disease, CoQ10 has shown benefits in patients with heart failure - 50mg daily for 4 weeks resulted in improvements in dyspnea, heart rate, blood pressure, and ankle edema. Cardiac patients supplemented with CoQ10 prior to heart surgery tend to recover sooner and maintain blood and tissue levels of CoQ10 better than patients not receiving supplements." On top of this, Coenzyme Q10 also helps with protecting the heart for those who are taking cholesterol-lowering medications as well as doxorubicin, a drug used to treat cancer, but with damaging side effects. Others Other health benefits that Coenzyme Q10 brings include helping with diseases like AIDS, muscular dystrophy, migraine headaches, mitochondrial disorders, and other metabolic disorders. Currently, Coenzyme Q10 is being considered and looked into as a possible treatment for cancer and chemotherapy side effects, as well as for increasing sperm motility. Athletic Performance Although it has been touted that Coenzyme Q10 can improve athletic performance, it has not yet been proven; nor is there enough clinical evidence that verifies its ability to be an ergogenic performance aid for athletes. Side Effects Side effects of taking CoQ10 supplements are rare, except for forms of epigastric distress such as heartburn, nausea, or stomach ache, which can be prevented by taking the supplement on a full stomach after meals. |
