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Alternative Names: Ubiquinone, CoQ-10.
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance present in every cell of the body and serves as a coenzyme for several of the key enzymatic steps in the production of energy within the cell. It also functions as an antioxidant which is important in its clinical effects.
CoQ10 is a vitamin-like substance that resembles Vitamin E, but which may be an even more powerful antioxidant. It plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the immune system and in the aging process.
There is no information on the use of CoQ10 for prevention of illness. This is an extremely important question which, to date, has not been answered.
Source
CoQ10 is naturally present in small amounts in a wide variety of foods but is particularly high in organ meats such as heart, liver and kidney, as well as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel and peanuts. To put dietary CoQ10 intake into perspective, one pound of sardines, two pounds of beef, or two and one half pounds of peanuts, provide 30mg of CoQ10. CoQ10 is also synthesized in all tissues and in healthy individuals normal levels are maintained both by CoQ10 intake and by the body's synthesis of CoQ10.
Most of the CoQ10 available in the United States is manufactured in Japan and is distributed by a number of companies who place the CoQ10 either in pressed tablets, powder-filled capsules, or oil-based gelcaps.
Function; Reasons For Use
CoQ-10 is a normal component of the electron transport chain; which allows the electron energy to be converted to ATP during oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Its ability to transfer electrons has made CoQ10 an effective anti-oxidant when taken as a supplement.
There has been much research done on this fat-soluble molecule in recent years in areas such as cardiovascular, periodontal, breast cancer, hypertension, and overall energy. Much of the research has shown CoQ10 to be effective when taken as a supplement, as many things (including some prescription drugs) lower the amount of CoQ10 in the blood.
Testing has shown that CoQ10 reduces angina and improves cardiac function. Dr. Peter Langsjoen and Dr. Karl Folkers have demonstrated in clinical studies that CoQ10 could eliminate the need for heart and blood pressure medications for millions of Americans. A study in the American Journal of Cardiology (AJC), showed that CoQ10 cut the incidence of angina attacks in half. In every test run, patients on CoQ10 had better exercise tolerance than those who had similar conditions but were not given the vitamin. CoQ10 is important for energy production. It also improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and acts as a chelating agent.
Directions
The dosage of CoQ10 used in clinical trials has evolved since the early 1980s. Initially, doses as small as 30-45mg per day were associated with measurable clinical responses in patients with heart failure. Additional studies have used higher doses with improved clinical response, again in patients with heart failure.
Some patients attain good blood levels of CoQ10 on 100mg per day while others require two or three times this amount to attain the same blood level. CoQ10 is fat-soluble and absorption is significantly improved when it is chewed with a fat-containing food.
Since CoQ10 is oil-soluble, it is best absorbed when it is emulsified in some form of oil (soft gel). Usual doses range from 30mg (supplemental) to 100 or 200mg (therapeutic) per day.
Side-Effects
CoQ10 has no known toxicity or side-effects.
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CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) can help with the following: | | | | | Aging |  Parkinson's Disease | Other antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) and proanthocyanidins may be equally or more effective than vitamins C and E. This, however, remains to be proven in clinical trials. Coenzyme Q10 is absorbed into brain fluids and is a very powerful antioxidant. |
Premature/Signs of Aging |
Circulation |
 Congestive Heart Failure| | CoQ10 is known to be highly concentrated in heart muscle cells due to the high energy requirements of this cell type. The great 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 [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., vol. 82(3), pp. 901-4].
The severity of heart failure correlates with the severity of CoQ10 deficiency [Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. X(7) pp.497-502]. This CoQ10 deficiency may well be a primary causative factor in some types of heart muscle dysfunction while in others it may be a secondary phenomenon. Whether primary, secondary or both, this deficiency of CoQ10 appears to be a major treatable factor in the otherwise inexorable progression of heart failure.
The efficacy and safety of CoQ10 in the treatment of congestive heart failure, whether related to primary cardiomyopathies or secondary forms of heart failure, appears to be well-established. |
Cardiomyopathy| | Pioneering trials of CoQ10 in cases of heart failure involved primarily patients with dilated weak heart muscle of unknown cause (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy). CoQ10 was added to standard treatments for heart failure such as fluid pills (diuretics), digitalis preparations, and ACE inhibitors. 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 (the ejection fraction), showed a gradual and sustained improvement in tempo with a gradual and sustained improvement in patients' symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. The degree of improvement was occasionally dramatic with some patients developing a normal heart size and function on CoQ10 alone. Most of these dramatic cases were patients who began CoQ10 shortly after the onset of congestive heart failure. Patients with more established disease frequently showed clear improvement but not a return to normal heart size and function.
A few studies, however, have found no benefit from CoQ10 supplementation in treating people with cardiomyopathy. Despite a partial lack of consistency in the outcomes of published research, most holistic doctors recommend 100-150mg per day taken with meals.
Coenzyme Q10 has also been shown to improve cardiac function in people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a less common form of cardiomyopathy. [Am Heart J 1996;132(Pt 1): pp.61-70] |
Angina| | CoQ10 deficiency is common in individuals with heart disease. Heart tissue biopsies in patients with various heart diseases show a CoQ10 deficiency in 50 to 75% of cases. In one study, patients with stable angina pectoris were treated with CoQ10 at 150 mg per day for four weeks. Compared to placebo, CoQ10 reduced the frequency of anginal attacks by 53%. In addition, there was a significant increase in treadmill exercise tolerance. The results of this study and others suggest that CoQ10 is a safe and effective treatment for angina pectoris. |
 Mitral Valve Prolapse| | CoQ10 enhances the pumping action of the heart, output of blood, speed of heart muscle contraction and general cardiac efficiency. Dosage: 60-120mg per day. |
Atherosclerosis
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) |
Mental |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) |
Nutrients |
Vitamin CoQ10 Need |
Uro-Genital |
Susceptibility To Miscarriages |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
A compound consisting of the nucleotide adenosine attached through its ribose group to three phosphoric acid molecules. It serves to store energy in muscles which is released when it is hydrolyzed to adenosine diphosphate.
Angina
Angina Pectoris: Severe, restricting chest pain with sensations of suffocation caused by temporary reduction of oxygen to the heart muscle through narrowed diseased coronary arteries. Often triggered by exertion. Angina Vasomotoria: Like the previous, but less dangerous and more frequently caused by purely neurologic stimulus. The pain is more spasmodic and there is usually little actual blood vessel blockage.
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, such as proteins, membranes, and DNA. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Cardiac
Pertaining to the heart, also, pertaining to the stomach area adjacent to the esophagus.
Cardiovascular
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
Cobalamin (B12, B-12, Cobalamine, Vitamin B12)
Essential for normal growth and functioning of all body cells, especially those of bone marrow (red blood cell formation), gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, it prevents pernicious anemia and plays a crucial part in the reproduction of every cell of the body i.e. synthesis of genetic material (DNA).
Coenzyme
A heat stable molecule that must be associated with another enzyme for the enzyme to perform its function in the body. It is necessary in the utilization of vitamins and minerals.
Congestive
Pertaining to accumulation of blood or fluid within a vessel or organ.
Diuretic (Diuretics)
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Folic Acid
A B-complex vitamin that functions along with vitamin B-12 and vitamin C in the utilization of proteins. It has an essential role in the formation of heme (the iron containing protein in hemoglobin necessary for the formation of red blood cells) and DNA. Folic acid is essential during pregnancy to prevent neural tubular defects in the developing fetus.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Idiopathic
Arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Methionine
Essential amino acid. Dietary source of sulfur and methyl groups. Important for proper growth in infants, nitrogen balance in adults, healthy nails and skin and the synthesis of taurine, cysteine, phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), bile, carnitine and endorphins. It is an antioxidant nutrient and lipotropic agent which promotes the physiological utilization of fat.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Miscarriage (Miscarriages, Spontaneous Abortion)
The expulsion of a fetus before it is able to survive outside of the womb.
Mitochondrion (Mitochondria)
Structure inside a cell that is the location of the cell's energy production machinery. (Plural: Mitochondria)
Phosphorylation
Commonly Oxidative Phosphorylation: Synthesis of ATP through various reactions whereby energy for the cell is obtained.
Placebo (Placebos)
A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments.
Pound (lb, lbs)
454 grams, or about half a kilogram.
Proanthocyanidin (Proanthocyanidins)
Also called procyanidin, it is a powerful antioxidant that chemically belongs to the class of bioflavonoids. Grape seed extract, pine bark extract, as well as berries such as hawthorn berries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries and, to a lesser extent, red wine, are natural sources.
Vitamin E
An essential fat-soluble vitamin. As an antioxidant, helps protect cell membranes, lipoproteins, fats and vitamin A from destructive oxidation. It helps protect red blood cells and is important for the proper function of nerves and muscles. For Vitamin E only, 1mg translates to 1 IU.
Last updated: Nov 14, 2009
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