Supporting Energy Production & Preventing Free Radical Damage!
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ-10, is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance involved in the exciting world of electron transport and energy production in the body. While needed by all cells, CoQ-10 is highly concentrated in heart muscle cells, because these "worker bee" cells require lots of energy!
A powerful antioxidant, Coenzyme Q10 helps prevent the cellular damage cased by free radicals in the body. It is manufactured by the liver and is also found in many foods, mostly in meat and seafood.
CoQ-10 absorption is generally poor, unless taken with meals rich in lipids (or "fats"). Otherwise, over 60% of an oral dose can be excreted. It actually takes three weeks of daily dosing to reach maximal concentrations in the body. Peak levels of CoQ-10 after oral administration occur in 5-10 hours, and the half-life is approximately 34 hours.
Research Emphasizes Role in Healthy Hearts
Much research has been done on CoQ-10 in the past two decades, especially in the areas of cardiovascular health, periodontal health, breast cancer, hypertension, and overall energy. The bulk of clinical work with CoQ10 has focused on heart disease.
Specifically, congestive heart failure (from a wide variety of causes) has been strongly correlated with significantly low blood and tissue levels of CoQ10. The severity of heart failure correlates with the severity of CoQ10 deficiency.
Several trials involved the comparison between supplemental CoQ10 and placebo on heart function as measured by echocardiography. CoQ10 was given orally in divided doses as a dry tablet chewed with a fat-containing food or an oil-based gel cap swallowed at mealtime.
Heart function, as indicated by the fraction of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat, showed a gradual and sustained improvement in tempo, with a gradual and sustained improvement in patients' symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, and palpitations.
Some articles of interest:
