One of the supplements receiving a lot of limelight recently is CoQ10. Several of my patients and friends have been asking about it after hearing about its multiple benefits on TV and online.
CoQ10 is one of the most popular supplements today, and for good reason — it’s essential to the function of all cells in the body and can help relieve pain, improve memory and increase resilience to stress. Many people also take it for energy-boosting power and here’s why: Your body uses CoQ10 stores to help mitochondria turn food molecules into energy.
How CoQ10 Works in the Body
We normally produce sufficient amounts of CoQ10, although some medications such as statins (Lipitor, Crestor, etc.) as well as heart disease itself — will exhaust the body’s own natural supply of CoQ10. About 25% of coenzyme Q10 in your blood comes from your diet, but there are currently no specific dietary intake recommendations from the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. Research indicates that rich sources of dietary coenzyme Q10 include mainly meat, poultry and fish. Other good sources include soybean, corn, olive and canola oils, nuts and seeds.
About 90% of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) is converted by your body into an active reduced form known as Ubiquinol. Many people erroneously believe that CoQ10 blood levels decrease with age. The truth is, it’s not that our CoQ10 levels that decrease with age, but after age 60 we tend to become less efficient in converting CoQ10 to that active Ubiquinol — so it makes sense for older people who were advised by their doctor to take CoQ10 to just take Ubiquinol — the active reduced fraction of CoQ10.
My Recommended Uses… & Alternatives
In addition to recommending CoQ10 to anyone on Statins, I also prescribe it to patients with heart failure, in whom 100 mg of daily Ubiquinol significantly improves pump function of the heart. CoQ10 is also worth trying for muscle pain and neuropathic pain at 50 mg twice daily. I do not really recommend using it for fatigue because of side effects of insomnia, nausea and diarrhea when taken in excess. And if you are thinking of taking a supplement for common fatigue, consider other supplements, such as Acetyl L-Carnitine and vitamin B12, and herbs such as Ashwagandha, green tea and Rhodiola.
Another great herbal combo to try in cooking is the mixture of three spices: Ginger, turmeric and cardamom. This awesome blend has energy boosting effect, which can be great for those suffering from common fatigue. This combo also has anti-inflammatory properties and works wonders for any kind of sprain, strain or osteoarthritis. It can also be tried in combination with CoQ10 or Ubiquinol for synergistic effect.
