Heart, Gum, Kidneys and Other CoQ10 Benefits

When it comes to popular supplements, CoQ10 ranks high. It has a well-earned reputation as an antioxidant and an energy supplement.

CoQ10 is in every cell of our body, but it is particularly concentrated in the gums, heart, and kidneys. A major dilemma is that with age, our CoQ10 levels start to decrease.

Your body naturally produces CoQ10, however, it’s hard to get CoQ10 through our diet anymore.

Research suggests that that CoQ10 levels start to decline in the more important organs such as the heart around age 26 and in the skin around age 30. By around age 66, your overall CoQ10 production is about half of what it was when you were 25.

Whether you are taking it for energy, heart health or to support your overall health, the good news is that adding CoQ10 to your supplement routine has many health benefits.

Here are some notable benefits:

Heart

CoQ10 is associated with heart health benefits, particularly when it comes to how much blood your heart is pumping out with each contraction—making it a great choice for those who want to support a healthy cardiovascular system.

Kidney

CoQ10 fortifies the body’s natural antioxidant capacity and reduces levels of oxygen free radicals, indicating an important defense against chronic kidney disease. CoQ10 has been used experimentally to control hypertension and kidney disease and lab animals since the early 1970s.

Gums

CoQ10 strengthens gum tissue and helps stave off unwanted bacteria in the mouth that can cause plaque. By helping support the management of oral bacteria, CoQ10 is able to support a healthy inflammatory response important for gum health.

Energy during exercise

It shouldn’t be a surprise that CoQ10 supplementation has been linked to greater exercise performance; we need CoQ10 for cellular energy, after all. In a double-blind controlled clinical study of 17 healthy patients, CoQ10 was evaluated against placebo to see if it could improve exercise performance on bike rides. The results showed that CoQ10 supplementation resulted in a significantly greater improvement in maximum velocity and inhibited general fatigue.

Antioxidant

Antioxidants fight free radicals to keep us in optimal health, and among antioxidants, CoQ10 is a particularly powerful one. A meta-analysis of 17 trials totaling 972 participants found that CoQ10 increases serum total antioxidant capacity and protected against an important marker of oxidative stress.

Skin

According to the mitochondrial theory of aging, energy loss is one of the causes of age-related decline. Because CoQ10 increases energy production, it may support healthier aging—which you can see in the skin. In a controlled trial, 33 women aged 45-60 were divided into groups to receive CoQ10 or placebo. After 12 weeks, those who supplemented with CoQ10 had significant improvements in the appearance of skin wrinkles, skin elasticity and smoothness whereas the placebo had no significant changes.

Since CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is best taken with food.

Source:

Life Extension and Biotics Research

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.