Co Q10
It is found almost everywhere in the human body and yet its full potential is still being explored today, more than 50 years after its discovery. Coenzyme Q10, also known as Ubiquinone, may be as ubiquitous as its Latin name suggests, but scientists around the world have only begun to realise its benefits for improving health in the last few decades. Today, the key roles played by coenzyme Q10 within the body, its role in both health and disease, and the potential benefits of dietary supplementation are being increasingly recognised.A number of studies have recently been published from the fifth annual conference of the CoQ10 Association in Kobe, Japan. This research has added to the knowledge that has already been accumulated over the years about Q10 and its two main functions in the body - namely energy production and as an antioxidant. In particular, the studies shed further light on the impact of using Q10 for conditions such as severe heart failure and breast cancer, as well as its overall safety. In the first paper, Peter Langsjoen, an American clinician acknowledged as the world’s leading authority on the use of coenzyme Q10 for treating heart disease, described a new clinical trial benefiting patients with severe heart failure. Critically ill patients supplemented with coenzyme Q10 (450-900mg/day) for three months showed a remarkable clinical improvement. The most important aspect of this study was the use of coenzyme Q10 in the form ubiquinol. Coenzyme Q10 occurs in the body in two closely related chemical forms, namely ubiquinone and ubiquinol. Until recently, supplements were only available containing coenzyme Q10 in the form ubiquinone. Although this type of supplement had been used successfully in a number of clinical studies of patients with heart disease, it was recognised that critically ill patients would be unable to absorb sufficient ubiquinone from their digestive tract to be effective.
Coenzyme Q10 supplements containing ubiquinol, which is more easily absorbed from the digestive tract, were used with success in the above study after its recent introduction into the UK market. They are recommended for individuals with digestive disorders who may be less able to absorb conventional coenzyme Q10 supplements.
Another clinical study by Sachdanandam and colleagues based in India reported the benefit of supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (as ubiquinone) in breast cancer patients undergoing Tamoxifen therapy. Co-administration of coenzyme Q10 (100mg/ day) with Tamoxifen (10mg/ twice daily) significantly reduced levels of blood triglycerides together with angiogenesis markers, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and tumour recurrence/ metastases in these patients. Finally, an overview of preclinical and clinical studies by Hidaka and colleagues from Japan confirmed the high degree of safety in the supplementation of coenzyme Q10. No evidence for significant adverse effects was found, and a safe level of at least 1200mg/day was suggested.
These latest papers are just a taste of the ongoing research taking place around the world into the potential benefits of coenzyme Q10, which continues to amaze scientists and doctors. No other substance found within the body has the same two key functions. Coenzyme Q10 is an essential cofactor of the enzymes that convert sugar and fats into energy, thereby providing all cells with a continual energy supply vital for their normal functioning. This process is of particular importance in heart and skeletal muscle tissue, which have extremely high energy requirements during physical exertion. In addition to this, coenzyme Q10 is also important as a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damaging effects of toxic free radical molecules, which are continuously produced within the body as an unwanted by-product of normal metabolism.
Coenzyme Q10 is manufactured within the body, with the remainder being obtained from the diet, but as individuals age, the body is less able to maintain optimal levels. Coenzyme Q10 levels are also depleted by lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking, as well as by physical exertion or illness. Dietary supplementation can therefore help to maintain optimal levels of coenzyme Q10 when the natural levels begin to decline.
What is Q10?
Co-Enzyme Q10 is a key co-enzyme found in every cell of our body. It is involved primarily in energy production and may help promote optimal heat function, blood pressure levels and may even boost your immune system. Small amounts of Q10 can be found in Sardines, Mackerel, Pork, Spinach, Soya Oil, Sesame seeds and walnuts. The amount of Q10 in our body declines with age and it may help to supplement with Q10 to ensure an adequate level.
Professor Fred Krane, the American scientist, who discovered Q10 in 1957, recommends Bio-Quinone Q10 because of its superior levels of absorption in the body.
The above graph shows that the best levels of absorption in the body
are obtained through dissolving Q10 in a patented Soya oil formulation
presented in soft gelatine capsules (like Bio-Quinone Q10)
Why Take Q10?
- For a healthy heart
- For healthy gums
- For healthy energy levels
- For a healthy immune system
Heart Function
Q10 is particularly important to help maintain the efficient functioning of the heart.
Q10 and Statins
Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs, some of which are now available without prescription. Statins can be very effective medication, by blocking the body's ability
to make LDL (bad) cholesterol but, at the same time, they disrupt the body's production of Co-Enzyme Q10.
Lack of Q10 can also cause extreme tiredness, muscle weakness and gum disease.
For people on cholesterol lowering medication, supplementation with co-enzyme Q10 is strongly recommended.
Bio-Quinone Q10 - Every body Needs Q10
Healthy Gums
The concentration of Q10 in the gums has been shown to be lower in people with periodontitis (gum disease) or whatever there is a risk of infected or bleeding gums. Supplementation with Q10 may help reduce the numbers of unhealthy micro-organisms in the mouth as well as raise levels of Q10.
Energy
Co-Enzyme Q10 is found in the mitochondria (energy factory) of each cell and is involved in the electron transfer chain - a process by which our food is turned
into energy. It's role is similar to that of a spark in a car engine, just as the car cannot function without that initial spark, the human body cannot function without
co-enzyme Q10.
However, Mitochondria are not always able to function optimally to produce energy. One factor which may be responsible is lack of Q10. This can cause tiredness and lack
of sleep. Elderly people, in particular, are advised to supplement as levels of Q10 decline with age.
Immune System
Q10 also has antioxidant properties protecting from free radical damage.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are harmful, aggressive molecules that attack our body cells. Environmental pollution, stress, tobacco, ultraviolet light, etc.., form free radicals.
Unless we have sufficient amounts of antioxidants to intercept and neutralise the excess free radicals in our body our cells begin to deteriorate.
I've taken Coenzyme Q10 for years, says TV's Dr Chris Steele.
He may be a family GP, but Dr Chris Steele regularly gives advice to more than two million people. The 63-year-old has been the resident health expert on ITV 1's This Morning for 20 years and takes his position very seriously. “It's a doctor's job to make people feel better and live longer,” Dr Steele says. Consequently, he would never give advice that he doesn't follow himself and this includes sharing his knowledge of the products that have kept him healthy over the years. Dr Steele is a firm believer in the benefits of taking dietary supplements and multivitamins, but says if you are going to take them its very important to use the best quality.
One of his personal favourites is coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance that plays a central role in the body's energy production. It was first discovered in 1957 by Professor Fred Crane and over the last few decades, the potential benefits of Q10 supplements have been increasingly recognised by scientists and doctors. Dr Steele says: “I've taken Q10 for years. It's vital for energy production and, as you get older, it becomes very important to top it up if you want to feel younger and keep active for longer.” Coenzyme Q10 is found in all tissues, and has two main functions within the body, namely energy production and as an antioxidant. No other substance found within the body has these two important functions. Q10 levels peak around the age of 21, but gradually fall as you get older, so keeping yourself topped up with a supplement could keep you looking younger and feeling more active as the years go on. As well as losing Q10 as you get older, your levels will also decrease if you're ill, drink too much, or do a lot of intense physical exercise. Heart and cancer patients have reported very low levels of Q10 and it is now known that the heart, muscles and liver have a particular need for Q10 due to their exceptionally high energy requirement.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins also block the body's own production of Q10, so if you are taking these and are feeling drained of energy, a Q10 supplement could be the answer. Other side effects of statins include muscle and abdominal pain, constipation, and liver problems. Research shows coenzyme Q10 does not affect the cholesterol lowering effect of statins, so taking both will be no problem. Dr Steele says: “Lots of people also take statins to control cholesterol, but they can drain you of Q10. If you are complaining of tiredness you may need a Q10 supplement.” Born in Wallsend, near Newcastle, Dr Steele left the North East in the early 1960s to do a medical degree in Manchester. He met his wife in the city, started a family, and has remained there ever since. One of many doctors working in the Manchester area, Dr Steele's patient list just happened to include Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, who approached him about appearing on This Morning, the ITV show they were presenting at the time. He was hesitant at first, and only intended to stay for a few months, but following encouragement from his four children he made the leap from family doctor to household name.
That was more than 20 years ago and Dr Steele is now one of the most well known health professionals in the UK, as well as an MBE, and appears in front of two million viewers each week. He says: “It's a very responsible position and it's something I take seriously. I'm a family GP, but there are two million viewers, so that's my patient list.” Dr Steele is a big believer in the benefits coenzyme Q10 can have for people as they get older, but he's not the only supporter of the supplement. Another expert on health, and also from Dr Steele's native North East, is Dr David Mantle, of Newcastle University's School of Biology. Dr Mantle has spent years investigating the link between nutrition and health and believes Q10 has a key role to play.
He says: “Coenzyme Q10 is a key nutrient for maintaining good health, particularly your cardiovascular system. "The efficacy and safety of coenzyme Q10 has been extensively documented, with more than 1,000 research papers, including more than 100 randomised controlled clinical trials published in scientific and research literature.” When taking a Q10 supplement, it is important to use to use a formulation the body can readily absorb, so you get the maximum benefit. In Copenhagen, Denmark, where extensive Q10 studies have taken place, they have found that Q10 dissolved in soya oil and made up in a soft gelatine capsule produces optimal bio-availability, which essentially means it gets the best absorption in the body. Dr Mantle says: “Buying cheap CoQ10 products can be a false economy. For example, in a review by a consumer organisation of 32 CoQ10 products marketed in the USA, several were found on analysis to contain substantially less active ingredient than stated on the product labeling, with one product containing no active ingredient at all. “It is therefore important to purchase CoQ10 products from companies manufacturing to pharmaceutical standards, a guarantee of product quality.” So if you're looking to boost your health by improving your diet then coenzyme Q10 is one dietary supplement worth considering, especially if you're not feeling as young or energetic as you used to be.
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