COENZYME Q10 

 

Coenzyme Q10, also referred to as Co Q10 or ubiquinone, is a vitamin-like compound which is present in all cells.  It occurs naturally in the body and is found in highest amounts in the mitochondria, where cellular energy is created.  CoQ10 levels are highest in the hardest-working tissues of the body, especially the heart.

Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant, that is, it helps to protect cells from damage caused by the body’s own free radicals.  The body produces free radicals in the normal course of energy production.  However as we get older our bodies generate an excess of free radicals.  This can be deleterious for individuals whose body is not producing enough Coenzyme Q10 and other antioxidants to control these free radicals. 

CoQ10 has several different actions in the body.  Its most notable effects are:

  1. Antioxidant - it scavenges free radicals
  2. Improves the efficiency of cellular energy production in the mitochondria (energy factories) of the cell
  3. Regulates genes concerned with energy production
  4. Stabilises membranes

As we age there is a decline in the amount of CoQ10 our body produces.  It is not possible to get large amounts of Co Q10 from diet alone.  Therefore taking a daily Co Q10 supplement especially as we age, can increase cell energy levels and strengthen the body’s antioxidant defence network.