Why take CoQ10 as an anti aging supplement?

Go back a few years and you may not have even heard of CoQ10.

You certainly wouldn’t have been aware that CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10 was a key antioxidant giving high levels of protection from free radical damage.  Free radical damage is responsible for the extrinsic aging process that causes – among other things – many of the visible signs of skin aging.

Research studies have shown that up to 95% less damage to cell membranes – including skin cell membrane damage – occurs after supplementation with CoQ10.

So what is CoQ10 and how much do you need?

CoQ10 lies at the heart of our cells’ energy producing process. Like L-carnitine, CoQ10 is essential for the transport of fatty acids to the cells and the metabolism or burning of these fats for energy. 

In some cells – like heart cells – this energy conversion process can be the difference between life and death and it is this that gives CoQ10 its association with the prevention of heart disease.

CoQ10 also plays a critical role in maintaining our supply of vitamin E – another key anti aging antioxidant.  When vitamin E gets “used up” in the performance of its duty as an antioxidant protecting our cell membranes – CoQ10 can “recharge” it, and restore its antioxidant power.

All fine and good you may think – but why do I need to take a supplement? The short answer is that you are unlikely to be getting the CoQ10 you need in your diet.

CoQ10 is a nutrient that occurs widely in the food supply. The problem is – it isn’t found in foods in high amounts and probably not in the foods you eat regularly.  Both these things mean you may not be getting enough CoQ10 for optimal health.

The richest source of CoQ10 is organ meats which many people – certainly in the US – no longer eat.  Other sources include oily fish and whole grains – again increasingly limited in the average western diet.

If you don’t get sufficient CoQ10 from your diet – your body is unlikely to be able to make up the amounts it needs. The body can make its own CoQ10 but it doesn’t always do it very efficiently. The result of can be deficiency, accelerated aging and poor health. 

A top nutrionist has observed that many Americans lack sufficient CoQ10 “for limited health and survival apart from optimum health and survival”.  The same could be said of many other countries where a westernized or American diet is becoming the norm.

CoQ10 supplements have been widely used in the treatment of many diseases which are closely associated with a modern western lifestyle and diet – especially high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Because of CoQ10’s role in boosting energy flow and fat burning – it has also been used to raise physical performance levels in high impact sports and fitness training.

CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10 is usually found under this exact same name in anti aging supplements. The chemical name for coenzyme Q -”ubiquinone” – may also be found on a supplement label or ingredient list.

There are currently no public health recommendations for CoQ10 minimum or maximum levels but the general recommended dose for coenzymeQ10 supplements is anything from 30 to 200 mg daily. 

I am now taking a daily dose of 200 mg of CoQ10 having started out originally at 60 mg which I stuck at for some time. Over the last year as I started to read more and more about the benefits of CoQ10 I upped the dose gradually to the current level without any side effects.

If you tried to get the same levels from food – you would have to work very hard to get more than 10 mg per day from diet alone. 
 
As coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble it is best taken with a meal containing fat for maximum absorption.

Related articles:

• Why anti aging nutrition matters
• Vitamin supplement vital for healthy aging
• Vitamin E – powerful antioxidant protection