What is CoQ10 and will you benefit from taking a supplement?

Do you suffer from fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, breast cancer, or high blood pressure? Then you could benefit from CoQ10. CoQ10 is the current supplement of choice. Why such a strange name/number combination? Well if you saw the chemical formula, you too, would refer to it as CoQ10. It is the third most popular dietary supplement sold in the United States, following behind Omega3 and multivitamins.

CoQ10 is an oil or fat soluble vitamin like substance that can be found in all cells. It is found in the mitochondria, which is called our cellular power plant. CoQ10 acts as a coenzyme for several other key steps in producing energy.

There are two chemical forms of CoQ10 in your body, ubiquinone and ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is found in all cellular systems and in most cells, tissues and organs. It is an antioxidant that helps produce energy and also acts as a protective antioxidant.

CoQ10 by itself is ubiquinone. Your body must convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol. In your 30^th’s, you start to produce less and less CoQ10. The process of converting the ubiquinone into ubiquinol also diminishes. The body also produces less CoQ10 because an increase in metabolic demands, more oxidation from stress, and insufficient dietary intake, and simply getting older.

You can receive CoQ10 from your diet. CoQ10 is found in beef, pork, chicken, fish, broccoli, oranges and other organ meats. Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen stated, “To put dietary CoQ10 intake into perspective, one pound of sardines, two pounds of beef, or two and one half pounds of peanuts, provide 30 mg of CoQ10.” You can receive that and more from one daily supplement. CoQ10 has no known side effects.

CoQ10 acts as a catalyst to produce energy. This process starts in your cells. You will notice an increase in stamina, strength in your cardiovascular system, and protection against oxidation from stress to your cells, tissues, and organs.

CoQ10 helps the enzymes to digest food. It helps protect the heart and skeletal muscles. It has been seen to lower blood pressure and help in the treatment of some cancers.

According to an article published by the University Of Maryland Medical Center, CoQ10 may:

· Improve immune function in individuals with immune deficiencies (such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS) and chronic infections (such as yeast, bacteria, and viral infections)

· Increase sperm motility leading to enhanced fertility

· Be used as part of the treatment for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

· Reduce damage from stroke

· Boost athletic performance

· Enhance physical activity in people with fatigue syndromes

· Improve exercise tolerance in individuals with muscular dystrophy

· Improve symptoms of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears

· Be beneficial in cosmetics for healthy skin

· Delay the aging process and increase longevity

It is very beneficial for people over 50 to take a supplement to help increase energy, improve memory, increase resistance to stress and slow the aging process.