What Are The Benefits Of Coq 10 Supplements?

CoQ10 is an enzyme required for energy production in body cells. It's most concentrated in energy-demanding organs such as the heart, liver, kidney and pancreas. Your body can make CoQ10 from the amino acid tyrosine, but it can also be consumed from animal foods and supplements. CoQ10 is obtained from fermented sugar canes or beets and has been used for a variety of conditions.

Cardiovascular Diseases

CoQ10 has a long history of use in Japan for heart diseases such as congestive heart failure and angina, although there is little evidence that CoQ10 alone can effectively treat heart disease. But according to a study conducted in India in 2003, taking CoQ10 right after myocardial infarction significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, improves levels of vitamin E and the heart-protective HDL cholesterol, and lowers the incidences of total cardiac events by more than 50%. For patients with a thickened yet weaker heart, a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a 1997 study found that CoQ10 supplements alleviated fatigue and shortness of breath and reduced the thickness of the ventricular wall by 26%.

High Blood Pressure

A study of 109 patients with essential hypertension showed that half of the patients completely dropped one to three hypertensive medications after taking CoQ10 supplements for over four months. In a randomized control study published in "South Medical Journal," CoQ10 supplements taken for three months reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 17.8 mm/Hg.

Because CoQ10 may lower blood pressure, if you're on blood pressure medications you should check with your doctor before taking this supplement.

Migraine

In a study performed at the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia, CoQ10 supplements reduced the number of migraine days by 50% in over half of the adult patients enrolled. Similar results were found in another study in Switzerland, where CoQ10 was shown to be an effective prophylactic treatment that reduced the frequency of migraine attacks. A study published in "Headache" in 2007 found that CoQ10 also reduced the frequency of migraine in children who had low CoQ10 levels.

Breast Cancer

There were a few published anecdotal cases where daily treatment of high-dose CoQ10 led to complete remission of tumors in high-risk breast cancer patients. In three of these cases, even the metastasized tumors disappeared. More rigorous studies are needed to verify these results.

Athletic Performance

As a component of the energy-producing machinery in the cell, CoQ10 is used by many athletes to improve aerobic performance. Advocates of the supplement swear by it, despite the scarcity of data to support its benefits.