Your liver is your largest internal organ, performing many important functions such as storing energy, making blood proteins, cleaning your blood of toxins and other potentially harmful substances, and making bile for digestion. Liver cancer is a serious condition that affected over 24,000 Americans in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society. Coenzyme Q10 is a supplement that may help prevent liver cancer or help your immune system fight liver cancer if you already have the disease. Discuss its use with your doctor to decide if it is right for you.
Causes and Risk Factors
Like all cancers, liver cancer begins when changes in liver cells make them abnormal, leading to their uncontrolled growth that crowds out normal liver cells and damages the organ. Risk factors for liver cancer include being male, having chronic hepatitis, using alcohol heavily, having a genetic liver disease such as hemochromatosis, being obese, taking steroids or being exposed to certain carcinogenic compounds. Many of these situations may produce cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver becomes inflamed and scarred, leading to an increased risk of cellular damage and cancer.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a natural chemical located in mitochondria, the part of cells responsible for energy production in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant that removes free radicals from your body. Free radicals are byproducts of normal metabolic processes and are also produced by environmental toxins. These molecules may injure cells by damaging membranes, DNA and other cellular components, potentially contributing to formation of cancerous cells.
Properties
CoQ10 has properties that may help prevent liver and other cancers. It stabilizes cell membranes, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which may help protect liver cells from carcinogenic compounds. In a review of the usefulness of CoQ10 published in "Current Neurovascular Research" in 2005, the authors concluded that CoQ10 may be beneficial in preventing or treating cancer and other disorders. Although it has not been evaluated specifically for liver cancer, several studies suggest CoQ10 may help treat or prevent breast and other cancers. In one pilot study published in 2009 in the "Journal of Internal Medicine Research," subjects with several types of advanced cancer who took CoQ10 had longer than expected survival times.
Recommendations
Coenzyme Q10 is available as a supplement from most health food stores, in tablets or soft gels. The recommended daily dose is 30 to 200 mg. Because CoQ10 is fat soluble, take it with a fat-containing meal for maximum absorption. The supplement is generally considered safe, although it may interact with some medications. Talk to your doctor about CoQ10 before adding it to your regimen.
References
- American Cancer Society: Liver Cancer Overview
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Coenzyme Q10
- National Cancer Institute: Coenzyme Q10
- "Current Neurovascular Research"; The Emerging Role of Coenzyme Q-10 in Aging, Neurodegeneration, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer and Diabetes Mellitus; M Dhanasekaran and J Ren; December 2005
- "Journal of Internal Medicine Research"; Improved Survival in Patients with End-Stage Cancer Treated with Coenzyme Q10...; N Hertz and R Lister; November-December 2009
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