1. The Spark of Life
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is an ubiquinone that is present in the mitochondria of every cell in our body. The naturopathic physician Michael Murray likens CoQ10 to the spark plug in a car. Without the initial spark that CoQ10 supplies, the body cannot function. CoQ10 deficiencies, which are less common in vegetarians than in omnivores, can lead to a number of problems. Our CoQ10 levels automatically decrease as we age. By age 50 we have half the amount of CoQ10 in our bodies than we did at 20, so it's often necessary to take a supplement. Take it with healthy fats and it will absorb better.
2. CoQ10 is Heart Healthy
CoQ10 deficiency is common in heart patients. In fact, when doctors perform biopsies of the heart in people with different types of cardiac disease, 50 to 75 percent had a CoQ10 deficiency. For this reason, doctors recommend CoQ10 along with other heart medications for patients with angina, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and other cardiac diseases. In fact, a study of patients undergoing cardiac bypass showed that taking CoQ10 before surgery improved outcomes.
3. Help get Diabetes Under Control
People with diabetes are usually deficient in CoQ10. This is especially true of people with type 2 diabetes who are taking oral hypoglycemic drugs, since these drugs affect C0Q10 metabolism. When CoQ10 is a supplement, it improves diabetic control. Researchers don't believe that this is completely due to correcting the deficiency, because the improvement seen (36 to 59 percent) is much higher than the incidence of CoQ10 deficiency (8.9 percent). In any event, doctors recommend CoQ10 supplements for people with diabetes.
4. Something to Chew on
People with gum disease often have a CoQ10 deficiency. Depending on what study you look at, the incidence of CoQ10 deficiency in people with gum disease ranges from 60 to 96 percent. CoQ10 supplements and topical CoQ10 speed the healing of gums in these patients.
5. Burn More Fat With CoQ10
Some studies indicate that a CoQ10 deficiency is responsible for some cases of obesity. In people who have a family history of obesity, there is sometimes a hereditary problem with energy production that causes decreased heat production in the cells. Since CoQ10 is essential for energy production, some scientists believe that a CoQ10 deficiency may be responsible for some cases of obesity. More studies are necessary to see if CoQ10 supplementation will be helpful in these patients.
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