Coenzyme Q10
Every day, the some 100 trillion cells in the body work
hard. They ingest and digest nutrients, remove waste, and
reproduce. Healthy cells provide the energy that ensures that
we wake up in the morning, get to work, enjoy different types
of recreation, and make it to bed at night.
To perform
all the tasks that they must, cells create their own energy.
The production of energy at the cellular level is commonly
known as bioenergetics. Considering how active the human body
is - remember that an average person uses 60% of his or her
daily energy on base metabolism - we can see how important
bioenergetics is.
Bioenergetics is dependent on food
because cells manufacture their own energy by burning the
substances found in foods. To do this, the foods we eat are
broken down into smaller and smaller components, which include
a number of carbon atoms. Eventually, the bonds between the
carbon atoms are broken down into the electrons that make them
up. These electrons contain energy that is converted into a
substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). One of the
bonds holding ATP together has great energy potential. When it
is broken, it releases the equivalent of 7,000 calories. This
is the energy our cells use to keep us alive.
A steady
production of ATP is necessary because only about 3 ounces (84
g) of ATP are stored in the body at one time; the amount that
will sustain a strenuous activity, such as running as hard as
you can, for about five to eight seconds. You can see then,
that it is important that our bodies have the most efficient
means possible to produce this valuable substance. Coenzyme
Q10 (CoQ10) is a key in the formation of ATP; if we are
lacking in coenzyme Q10, we cannot produce ATP
efficiently.
CoQ10 acts as a shuttle, carrying
important, energy-laden electrons and protons around the cell
to eventually be turned into ATP. Without this shuttle, ATP
would not be created, and cells would not be able to create
the energy needed for our energy needs. According to a 1990
article in the American Journal of Cardiology,
"Coenzyme Q10 is necessary for the mitochondria [components of
cells] to perform their functions and is essential for human
life."
ImplicationsWhat are the implications of
bioenergetics and CoQ10 for health? As stated, all of our
cells must produce energy for us to stay alive, and CoQ10 is
an essential part of this energy production. It is thus
logical that a deficiency in CoQ10 in any of the body's cells
would affect body functions.
CoQ10 has been studied in
relation to a wide range of body functions, with most of the
studies concentrating on the cardiovascular system. Studies
have shown that CoQ10 supplements can decrease the amount of
medicine used by heart disease patients, improve health as
measured by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional
scale, improve overall quality of life for heart patients, and
may help maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
CoQ10
has been shown to help maintain periodontal health and has
been studied for contributing to increased energy. CoQ10 is
also recognized as an antioxidant and immune
booster.
Finding the fuel
The best sources of coenzyme Q10 are animal
organs, some types of fish, and vegetable oils such as
soybean, rapeseed, and sesame. It is found in lesser
quantities in rice bran and wheat germ and in soy and other
beans. It is also found in vegetables, in particular spinach
and broccoli.
However, getting adequate amounts of
CoQ10 from diet can be problematic: your body absorbs CoQ10 at
only about a 1% to 2% rate. Compounding this is that as we
age, our bodies cannot absorb or produce coenzyme Q10 as
efficiently. Our lives and environment also affect coenzyme
Q10 levels, in that stressful lives and polluted environments
can deplete coenzyme Q10 from body tissue.
These
factors - limited food sources and absorption, age, stress,
and pollution - could lead to a deficiency of coenzyme Q10. By
some estimates, as many as 75% of people over age 50 in the
United States could be deficient in coenzyme Q10.
The
answer is supplementation. William judy, Ph.D., one of the
leading researchers on CoQ10, believes supplementation to be a
"requirement."
You need the fuel for a healthy life.
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