Coq10 Supplement Benefits

Nature’s Spark Plug – the many benefits of Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (often referred to as CoQ10) is one of the hero enzymes of the body that has been nicknamed ‘natures spark plug’. CoQ10 occurs in every cell in our body but can be found in particularly high levels in the brain, heart, liver and lungs. The secret to the importance of CoQ10 is its vital role within the energy production centre of every cell in our body, the mitochondria. The mitochondria serve the vital function of breaking down our food and turning this into energy that our whole body can use.

CoQ10 is at the heart of this process, powering the cells of the body for the wide variety of functions it performs every day. CoQ10 occurs naturally within the body, but production can be inconsistent and, critically, it also declines with age.It is possible to supplement your naturally occurring CoQ10 and this article explores some of the reasons you might chose to do so as well as how best to take this supplement.

What is CO-Q10?

As we have already discovered, CoQ10 is a part of the energy production process in every cell of the body. However, it also has some other vital functions to perform.

A Powerful Antioxidant - CoQ10 also acts as a powerful antioxidant within the body. As our body performs many of its common functions free radicals are generated and these free radicals can be damaging to the cells of the body. CoQ10 fights these damaging particles which, if left unchecked, can lead to cell damage or even cell death.

Brain Health - This antioxidant effect is particularly potent in the brain where damage is more likely to be caused by free radicals. CoQ10 has also been found to reduce mitochondrial disfunction in the brain.
This is particularly critical when we consider the link between oxidative stress on the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. Many studies have found a link between dementia and oxidative stress and some have suggested that CoQ10 could play a role in the prevention of the disease.

Heart Health - As well as supporting the healthy functioning of the brain, CoQ10 has been linked to heart. CoQ10 is naturally found at higher levels in the cells of the heart and studies have found that supplementation can improve the health of the heart and decrease indicators of poor hear health that are associated with heart failure.

Supporting Body-wide Energy Production - All energy production in the body happens within the mitochondria and CoQ10’s supporting role in the process makes it vital for the production of energy across the whole body.
Without adequate levels of CoQ10 many of the cells of the body, whether in the tissues or the organs of the body, will function less effectively. For example, CoQ10 levels have been found to be lower in those suffering from gum disease and an increase in CoQ10 has been linked to a boost in gum healing. As we age, the energy production of our cells becomes vital for proper regeneration of the body and its functions.

How to supplement CoQ10 - CoQ10 occurs naturally in the body but our levels of it decrease with age. CoQ10 can be found in some foods such as beef, herring, eggs and peanuts but it is difficult to consume these foods at a high enough level at which CoQ10 levels within the body would increase. Supplementation is the best way to introduce more CoQ10 into the body but finding the right supplement is vital.
CoQ10 supplements commonly come in the form of either ubiquinone or ubiquinol. The body is able to absorb the ubiquinol form more easily and this will be further enhanced by taking the supplement with food.

To conclude

CoQ10 is a powerful substance that has an impact on the functioning of the whole body.
Supplementation could support a range of vital functions in the body and may be of particular value as we age and levels of CoQ10 naturally decrease.
Supplements may also be of particular interest to those concerned with heart and brain health considering the promising research linking CoQ10 to improvements to brain and heart health.