CoQ10 is present in every cell of your body. However, the highest concentrations are found in organs with the greatest energy demands, such as the heart, kidneys, lungs and liver
Your body produces less and less CoQ10 as you get older. People with certain conditions, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and heart problems, tend to have low levels of CoQ10.
Well most people as they get older would benefit from a CoQ10 supplement and definitely anyone taking a statin medication should be taking CoQ10. Also anyone with diabetes or neuropathy or other nerve or heart issues should benefit.
Especially if you take a statin medication or red yeast rice to lower your cholesterol, the statin blocks your body’s ability to make as much CoQ10 as it needs. In fact, it has been shown that statins can lower CoQ10 levels by up to 40%!
Heart Health
Heart failure is often a consequence of other heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure. These conditions can lead to increased oxidative damage and inflammation of the veins and arteries. To make matters worse, some treatments for heart failure have undesirable side effects, such as low blood pressure, while others could even further reduce CoQ10 levels.
It seems that 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.
CoQ10 has been used to treat many different conditions. There's evidence that CoQ10 supplements can lower blood pressure slightly. CoQ10 is also used to treat heart failure and other heart conditions, possibly helping to improve some symptoms and lessen future cardiac risks when combined with regular medications, but the evidence is conflicting..
According to cardiologist Joel Kahn, M.D., "a group called the Cochrane Database Review looked at studies of CoQ10 for hypertension and found it caused an average 11 mmHg BP drop, which is similar to many prescription medications." Another study found that CoQ10 had the ability to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
High Blood Pressure
Abnormally high blood pressure, or hypertension, is one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But CoQ10 may be able to boost heart health by lowering these numbers in hypertensive patients and, therefore, reduce their risk of heart disease. One systematic review of 12 clinical trials found that CoQ10 was able to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg, the biggest indicator of heart disease risk, but also diastolic blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg.
Cancer
Oxidative stress is known to cause cell damage and affect their function. If your body is unable to effectively fight oxidative damage, the structure of your cells can become damaged, possibly increasing the risk of cancer.
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. What’s more, one study also suggested that supplementing with CoQ10 may help reduce the chance of cancer recurrence
Memory
Mitochondria are the main energy generators of brain cells. Mitochondrial function tends to decrease with age. Total mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to the death of brain cells and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Unfortunately, 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.
Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s
CoQ10 was able to slow the development of disabilities in patients with Parkinson’s disease in one small clinical study. All doses of the enzyme showed a significant benefit over placebo, but the largest dose (1200 mg of CoQ10 per day) was most effective.
CoQ10 has been shown to protect brain cells from oxidative damage and reduce the action of harmful compounds that can lead to brain disease. Preliminary studies have shown that CoQ10 may slow, or even stop, the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Anti-aging
CoQ10 can reduce sun damage and increase antioxidant protection. Supplementing with CoQ10 may also help decrease the risk of skin cancer. Harmful elements can lead to reduced skin moisture and protection from environmental aggressors, as well as the thinning of the layers of the skin.
Taking daily CoQ10 supplements can reduce the damage from internal and external agents by increasing energy production in skin cells and promoting antioxidant protection. Studies have shown antioxidants to have many health benefits, including protecting your skin. While sunscreen can shield your skin from harmful UV rays from the outside, antioxidants may be able to protect your skin from the inside. Antioxidants can also promote cell and tissue growth—important for maintaining skin’s youthfulness and keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay. Skin after all is constantly breaking down and regenerating.
In another study, researchers investigated the effect of daily supplementing of CoQ10 on the prevention of photoaging, or skin aging due to sun damage from UV rays, brought about by increased cellular oxidation. CoQ10 was able to “heal” the skin, reduce the level of oxidation, and even reduce wrinkle depth.
Energy Production
Energy conversion in the body is one of those things we rarely really think about, but it's crucial to our overall health. We can eat all the amazing, nutritious foods we want, but if our bodies can't take those nutrients and convert them into usable energy—a process that takes place inside our cells and has everything to do with the mitochondria—we aren't going to get very far.
One of CoQ10’s 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.
Dysfunctions in the mitochondria can majorly affect your health and may explain why you're tired all the time. Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., an integrative neurologist, says that CoQ10 is a mainstay in mitochondrial support, because "Coenzyme Q10 carries the electrons that are needed to make the complex chain of enzymes work." The take-home message? Energy production and CoQ10 are intricately connected.
Given that ATP is used to carry out all the body’s functions and oxidative damage is destructive to cells, it is not surprising that some chronic diseases have been linked to low levels of CoQ10.
Diabetes
A small 2014 study showed that 12 weeks of CoQ10 supplementation helped decrease fasting blood glucose levels (FPG) in people with type 2 diabetes . CoQ10 may reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin secretion in people with diabetes.
Diabetes causes your cells to be less efficient when taking in glucose to produce energy –– but this inefficiency may be improved by using CoQ10 to support your cells. Additionally, small scale research has found that CoQ10 levels are lower in people with diabetes, compared to control groups, so supplementation may be particularly beneficial in these cases.
Other benefits of CoQ10 can be found here as well as sources for high-quality, all-natural daily supplements safe for you and your family.