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Coenzyme
Q (CoQ) is a staple for cardiovascular disease therapy in Japan,
Europe and Russia. It
is a vitamin like compound that is present in most cells of the
body. The heart,
liver, kidney and pancreas have especially high concentrations of
CoQ. It is fat
soluble and is a potent antioxidant.
It is a membrane stabilizer (keeps the cell healthy and
intact), it's a cofactor in metabolic pathways (a necessary enzyme
in biochemical reactions in the cell) particularly in the
production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in oxidative
respiration (basically it plays an essential role in cell energy
production).
The
CoQ that is formulated in soybean oil appears to have superior
bioavailability(easily absorbed by the body) compared to other
formulations. Coenzyme
Q increases HDL (good cholesterol), vitamin E, vitamin C, and
actually decreases LDL (bad cholesterol).
So
why and when do we need to supplement CoQ?
Well the why is pretty evident.
It is essential for overall good health.
Coenzyme Q levels decline with age, declines with certain
diseases(Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertension, Periodontal
disease, certain muscular diseases and AIDS), and declines when
taking certain drugs(such as beta-blockers and statins which are
cholesterol lowering drugs; these drugs block the synthesis of
cholesterol as well as CoQ).
In
addition to the diseases already mentioned, CoQ supplementation
may be beneficial in the following diseases as well:
Parkinson's and Huntington's.
It appears that these diseases might be caused by impaired
function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and
particularly the mitochondrial enzymes, Complex I and Complex II
(the mitochondria is like the cell's engine, the place where all
the energy is produced).
CoQ
might also prevent cardiotoxicity caused by phenothiazines
(certain antipsychotics), tricyclicantidepressants, doxorubicin
(chemotherapy). Some
studies show that it may have some immunostimulatory activity in
breast cancer.
It
may also help in reducing migraine severity and increase exercise
tolerance as well as helping with fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis.
As
you can see there are various scenarios in which serum levels of
CoQ are reduced and you can also see how important and essential
it is to overall health. Every
reaction in our body requires energy and CoQ is an essential part
of that process. Dosing
varies depending on which condition is being treated.
Generally it is dosed at 100-200mg per day.
Cristina
Berard, RPh, MEd
Integrative Pharmacist
www.holistichealthinformation.com
cristina@holistichealthinformation.com
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