CoQ10 is one of the most exciting new discoveries in the anti-aging field, and the list of COQ10 benefits for anti-aging therapy is a long one.
Coenzyme Q10, commonly known as CoQ10, is a vitamin-like substance that occurs naturally in every cell of the human body and is used in the production of energy at the cellular level. It plays two important roles, serving both as an energy producing catalyst and as a powerful antioxidant.
Function One: How CoQ10 Helps Cells Produce Energy
CoQ10 plays an integral part in the production of energy at the cellular level. Cells produce energy by combining fats and carbohydrates with oxygen in a part of each cell known as the mitochondria. The actual biochemical reactions that produce energy occur along electron transport chains within the mitochondria.
The energy produced by these chemical reactions is converted to chemical energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP molecules. ATP is the source of energy the body relies on for all its inner workings, and it also represents the reserve energy in your muscles.
CoQ10 serves a unique function in this process. Because it is fat-soluable, CoQ10 is mobile within the cellular membrane and it serves as a “messenger link”. Each pair of electrons in the transport chain must first interact with CoQ10, which provides the “spark” for the chemical reactions that make up the energy-producing process.
Without CoQ10, there is no “spark” to trigger the biochemical reactions that lead to the production of energy, and no ATP is produced. The body only stores enough ATP to sustain vigorous activity for a few minutes at a time, so ATP must be produced constantly. And in order for this to happen, there must be an adequate supply of CoQ10 to keep production going.
Function Two: CoQ10 as Antioxidant
CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and as such can counteract the damaging effects of free radicals, chemically active molecules that are created during the normal but potentially harmful process of cellular oxidation. Free radicals have an uneven number of electrons, which makes them unstable. They scavenge the body in the effort to correct this instability by giving or take electrons from nearby cells, and can create massive cellular damage in the process.
An antioxidant is a substance which gives up electrons easily, and thus can function to neutralize free radicals and prevent them from damaging cells. As an energy carrier, CoQ10’s molecular structure makes it an ideal antioxidant. It is constantly going through a cycle of oxidation and reduction, during which it easily gives up one or both electrons and is an effective free radical neutralizer.
Both Functions Crucial to Health
Together, CoQ10’s antioxidant properties and crucial role in the production of energy create a host of benefits in disease treatment and prevention. In addition, they work together to make it a potent anti-aging tool. Many of the diseases, disorders, and health problems associated with aging are directly associated with free radical damage.
CoQ10 supplements are often prescribed to aid in recovery from heart surgery, and there is a mounting body of evidence that CoQ10 can play a substantial part in preventing heart disease as well as in the treatment and prevention of a number of age-related disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Ongoing research is currently evaluating the use of CoQ10 in the treatment of migraines, asthma, breast and prostate cancer, and HIV/AIDS.
Need for supplemental COQ10 increases with age
Extensive research has shown that adequate amounts of CoQ10 are necessary to healthy metabolism and organ function, but the older we get, the less we produce. Normal aging can reduce the CoQ10 levels in the heart by as much as 72%. In addition, statin drugs a group of drugs knows as statins (used to reduce LDL and cholesterol levels and frequently-prescribed for older people) also deplete CoQ10 levels.
The side effects of CoQ10 are mild (nausea, diarrhea, and heartburn) and rarely reported, though CoQ10 supplementation has been known to interfere with the action of some prescription drugs such as blood thinners and beta-blockers.
For people who are middle-aged or older, supplemental CoQ10 can be crucial to maintaining good health. While CoQ10 has been shown to be an effective form of treatment for some disorders, the most dramatic reseach results have been in the area of prevention. Not only is maintaining good CoQ10 levels a requisite for ongoing heart health throughout middle age and beyond, it is also believed to be among the keys to the prevention of an assortment of age-related disorders including Alzheimer’s disease.
