Do you want to improve heart health, regulate blood sugar, prevent or treat cancer, and reduce the frequency of migraines? We will introduce you to the benefits of taking Coenzyme Q10.
If you lack energy in your cells and feel tired, then Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is something you need. This is a compound that produces power in your cells. Our body makes CoQ10 naturally, but its production decreases with age. But don’t worry, you can also get it through supplements and foods. Research has revealed What the benefits of taking CoQ10 are. Let’s start with the basics of CoQ10.
What Is Coenzyme Q10?
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant in human cells, with the highest concentration in the mitochondria. CoQ10 plays a primary role in energy production. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, inhibiting free radical generation and preventing cell damage.
Your body naturally produces it, but you can obtain it through foods like eggs, fatty fish, organ meats, nuts, and poultry. If your levels of CoQ10 are low, you may face health conditions like heart disease, brain disorders, diabetes, and cancer.
Supplementing with CoQ10
CoQ10 supplements have been shown to improve conditions related to a lack of this vital compound. Additionally, it produces energy. These supplements boost your athletic performance and decrease inflammation in people who are not necessarily deficient.
Benefits of taking CoQ10
CoQ10 could reduce the oxidative damage that leads to muscle fatigue, skin damage, and brain and lungs diseases. Here is a detailed list of benefits of taking CoQ10:
CoQ10 Could Help With Exercise Performance
A calm mind brings inner strength that’s essential for good health. However, when you take stress, it affects your muscle function and exercise performance. Similarly, abnormal mitochondrial function can lower muscle energy and make it hard for muscles to contract efficiently and sustain exercise.
CoQ10 can help exercise performance by decreasing oxidative stress in the cells and improving mitochondrial functions. Moreover, it increases power during exercise and reduces fatigue, allowing you to enhance exercise performance. According to a study, CoQ10 supplementing with 1200 mg per day for 60 days decreases oxidative stress.
(Read my article: BCAAs vs. Protein: Which is Better for Building Muscle? What Experts Say!)
CoQ10 Could Reduce Headaches
Do you know abnormal mitochondrial function can increase calcium uptake by the cells, the excessive production of free radicals, and decrease antioxidant protection? Yes, this can result in low energy in the brain cells and even migraines.
As CoQ10 primarily lives in the mitochondria of the cells, it has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and help decrease the inflammation that may occur during migraines.
Supplementing with CoQ10 is three times more likely than a placebo to reduce the number of migraines in many people. Additionally, people who are CoQ10 deficient have been observed suffering from migraines.
According to a study, 1,550 people with low CoQ10 levels experienced fewer and less severe headaches after taking CoQ10 supplements. All in all, CoQ10 can help you treat migraines and may also prevent them.
Here is a fantastic video explaining how your body creates energy and CoQ10 benefits:
CoQ10 Might Help Keep Your Skin Young
Healthy skin is a reflection of overall wellness. Our skin is the main organ in our bodies, and it’s widely exposed to damaging agents that contribute to aging. These agents can be internal or external.
Some internal damaging factors include:
- Cellular damage
- Hormonal imbalances
External factors include:
- Environmental agents like dust
- UV Rays
Benefits on skin
- These harmful elements reduce skin moisture and protection from environmental aggressors. It may cause thin layers of the skin.
- When you apply CoQ10 directly to your skin, it might reduce the damage you get from internal and external agents by increasing energy production in skin cells and promoting antioxidant protection.
- CoQ10 reduces oxidative damage caused by UV rays and even decreases the depth of wrinkles.
- CoQ10 deficient people seem to be more likely to develop skin cancer.
- CoQ10 can reduce sun damage and increase antioxidant protection. Therefore, supplementing with CoQ10 may also help decrease the risk of skin cancer.
CoQ10 Could Help With Fertility
Male sperm is susceptible to oxidative damage due to the deficiency of CoQ10, resulting in poor sperm quality, reduced sperm count, and infertility. CoQ10 supplements may improve sperm quality, activity, and concentration by increasing antioxidant protection.
Due to a lower in the number and quality of available eggs, the fertility of females decreases with age. CoQ10 is directly involved in this process. CoQ10 production slows as you get older and makes your body less effective at protecting the eggs from oxidative damage. Supplementing with CoQ10 might help reverse this age-related decline in egg quality and quantity.
CoQ10 May Help Treat Heart Failure
“With a Healthy Heart, The Beat Goes On.” Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. It refers to several heart conditions; the most common is heart failure or heart attack.
Some heart diseases may be silent and not diagnosed until a person experiences signs or symptoms of heart attack or heart failure. Heart failure is often a result of other heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure.
These diseases may cause oxidative damage and inflammation of the veins and arteries. Heart failure occurs when these problems affect the heart when it cannot regularly contract, relax or pump blood through the body.
A study on 641 people with CoQ10 treatment for a year found that those in the CoQ10 group had been hospitalized less frequently for worsening heart failure and had fewer severe complications.
CoQ10 can help you:
- Restore optimal levels of energy production
- Reduce oxidative damage
- Improve heart function
It can help the treatment of heart failure. CoQ10 might help treat heart failure by improving heart function, increasing ATP production, and limiting oxidative damage.
(Also read my article: Why It’s Important to Monitor your Heart Rate During Exercise)
CoQ10 Could Help With Diabetes
As mentioned above, Oxidative stress can induce cell damage and may cause many problems in the human body. The more you take priority, the more chances of diabatic increase. Diabetes is a cause of insulin resistance. Abnormal mitochondrial functions are linked to insulin resistance.
Get relief! CoQ10 can improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels in your body. CoQ10 supplements might also help increase CoQ10 concentrations in the blood by 3x in people with diabetes who typically show low levels of this compound.
It significantly reduces fasting blood sugar levels and HBA1C, the average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months.
(Also read my article: The 5 Best Exercises to Help Prevent Diabetes)
CoQ10 Might Play a Role in Cancer Prevention
When your body can’t fight oxidative damage effectively, it can damage the structure of your cells. It possibly increases the risk of cancer. CoQ10 will protect cells from oxidative stress and promote cellular energy production, health, and survival.
Coenzyme Q10 is Good for the Brain
Your mental health impacts every area of your life. A healthy brain allows you to effectively deal with daily stressors, communicate well with others, make healthy decisions, and live a healthy life.
Likewise, a sound body has a sound mind. Mitochondria generate the energy of brain cells, but its functionality decreases with age. So if someone loses it, that can lead to the death of brain cells and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
In addition, the brain is susceptible to oxidative damage due to its high fatty acid content and increased oxygen demand. It may enhance the production of harmful compounds that affect memory, cognition, and physical functions.
But don’t worry, you can get help to reduce these harmful compounds with CoQ10. It possibly slows the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Causes of Coenzyme Q10 deficiency
CoQ10 production decreases as you get older. Some other causes of CoQ10 deficiency include Oxidative stress due to aging, Genetic defects in CoQ10 synthesis or utilization, Mitochondrial diseases, Increased demands by tissues as a consequence of the condition, and nutritional deficiencies such as dietary deficiencies such as vitamin B6 deficiency, and Side effects of statin treatments.
Functions of Coenzyme Q10
As mentioned above, CoQ10 is essential for us, and it plays several vital roles in our bodies. Here are some functions of it our bodies:
Energy production
The primary function of this compound is to help generate energy in your cells. It helps make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used to transfer power within cells.
Protect cells from oxidative damage
It is used as an antioxidant that protects your body cells from oxidative damage. Excessive free radicals lead to oxidative damage, interfering with regular cell functioning. It may cause many health conditions. CoQ10 helps you to avoid it.
Food Sources of CoQ10
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates. Nature is a blessing, and it has a lot for us. You can also get CoQ10 from some food resources. The following foods contain CoQ10:
- Organ meats
- Pork, beef, and chicken
- Fatty fish like Trout, herring, mackerel, and sardine
- Vegetables like Spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli
- Fruits including Oranges and strawberries
- Legumes including Soybeans, lentils, and peanuts
- Nuts and seeds
- Oils like soybean and canola oil
The Bottom Line
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like compound with many health benefits. It helps preserve cells and prevent and treat some chronic diseases. In addition, CoQ10 is a relatively well-tolerated and safe supplement that may benefit people looking for a natural way to boost health.
Although these supplements show much promise for heart health, their effectiveness in improving statins’ muscle pain is unclear. Discuss CoQ10 supplements with your doctor before taking them. It appears to be safe and well-tolerated.
“To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” – William Londen.
