Coenzyme Q10

Description

What is Coenzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone).
The best food sources of CoQ10 are meats (pork, beef and chicken) especially organs like heart, liver and kidney, fatty fish, some plants like spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, soybeans, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, pistachios, oranges and strawberries and of course oils.
In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10. The body produces less CoQ10 as we age, so CoQ10 supplementation can be a good idea.
How does Coenzyme Q10 work?
Researchers believe CoQ10 is able to improve the condition of patients with heart failure because it helps restore proper energy production and heart function while also protecting against oxidative damage.
Coenzyme Q10 helps lower the blood pressure and treat Parkinson’s disease.
People, who regulary take Coenzyme Q10 supplement, experience fewer migraines.
A study found that supplementing with CoQ10 can boost endurance in both trained and untrained people.
Benefits of Coenzyme Q10
Since Coenzyme Q10 is involved in the process of energy production, it is directly linked to the organs and systems where high energy consumption is involved. Deficiency in Coenzyme Q10 is said to bring about a host of issues that can be avoided with the help of the substance.
The benefits of Coenzyme Q10 are discussed in detail in this section.
Prevention and Treatment of Heart Diseases
One of the most prominent benefits of CoQ10 is that it has shown a lot of promise in improving heart-related ailments.
Heart diseases usually occur as a consequence of other conditions like high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. These ailments can often injure arteries and veins by increasing inflammation and do oxidative damage.
When the damage from these diseases is extensive enough, the heart’s ability to pump blood through a regular contraction is affected, thus leading to heart failure.
Furthermore, treating heart failure can lead to other issues such as lowering blood pressure and a decrease in the levels of CoQ10 in the heart.

That is where CoQ10 supplements come in. You can improve the condition of your heart with the help of CoQ10 supplements if you are at risk of heart failure.
If you are taking medication for high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, you can improve the condition of your heart by taking CoQ10 along with the other medications.

The way CoQ10 works is by improving heart function, reducing oxidative stress, and replenishing the optimal energy production levels in the heart. All of this helps the patients improve their cardiac functions.

Improving Female Fertility

A decline in female fertility happens with age due to the quality and quantity of eggs available.
CoQ10 is an important part of maintaining female fertility. With age, the production of CoQ10 declines so the protection provided by CoQ10 to the eggs gets affected. As a result, many eggs are destroyed from the oxidative stress that follows.
CoQ10 supplements can restore mitochondrial function in oocytes. The increased availability of CoQ10 ensures that ample energy is available for the reproductive system and egg production is optimal.

Improving Male Fertility

Just like female fertility, male fertility is also vulnerable to the negative impact of oxidative damage. The potential of damage may be significantly lesser in males but many men see a decline in fertility due to oxidative damage to sperm quality and sperm count.
A meta-analysis through systematic review showed that CoQ10 can have a significant impact on male fertility. It increases oxidation protection to the sperm, thus increasing the sperm concentration and sperm quality.

Skincare Benefits

Another significant way CoQ10 can benefit you is by keeping your skin younger.
Skin damage is common in aging because the skin is exposed to a host of damaging agents.
While some of the damages are caused by external factors, internal factors such as hormonal imbalance and cellular damage also contribute to skin damage during aging.
As a result of these external and internal factors, skin layers get thinned, protection from UV rays and other environmental factors gets reduced, and skin moisture gets reduced significantly.
Coenzyme Q10 can be vastly beneficial in providing the skin with an added layer of protection. When CoQ10 is applied to the skin directly, it provides antioxidant protection and increases energy production in the skin cells.
Some studies have shown that CoQ10 applied directly to the skin is even successful in reducing the depth of wrinkles and results in decreased UV damage.

Decreasing Headaches

CoQ10 has an excellent potential of reducing headaches, especially migraines. The substance provides antioxidant protection and improves cellular energy production, both of which are instrumental in reducing headaches.