Healthy Action Australia > Nutritional Supplements

The Single Most Crucial Nutrient to Energize Every Cell in Your Body

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is important for your body’s daily functions that it is also known as “ubiquinone” because it's 'ubiquitous' in the human body -- CoQ10 is actually used by every cell in your body.

For instance, CoQ10 is required for your cells to produce energy, and is an integral part of helping cells take fat and other substances and convert them into usable energy.

CoQ10 can also help protect your body from free radical damage. Free radicals are oxygen atoms deficient in electrons that become highly reactive. This in turn causes potential damage to your tissues and DNA.

It is because of its powerful antioxidant protection that CoQ10 is often recommended for a wide variety of heart-related conditions, such as heart attack, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, which require extra protection from free radical damage.

CoQ10 has actually been the subject of thousands of research studies, and in addition to the new finding above that CoQ10 may help reduce the risk of fatty liver in people with obesity, CoQ10 may also:

•Help you produce more energy for your cells

•Boost your heart health

•Act as an antioxidant to protect you from free radicals

•Help you reduce the signs of normal aging

•Help you maintain blood pressure levels within the normal range

•Provide a boost to your immune system

•Support your nervous system

What You Need to Know About CoQ10 as You Get Older

Your body requires the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) to help you limit free radical production.

If you’re under 25 years old your body is capable of converting CoQ10 from the oxidized to the reduced form. However, if you're older, your body becomes more and more challenged to convert the oxidized CoQ10 to ubiquinol.

It becomes more and more difficult for you to produce the ubiquinol you need due to:

•Increased metabolic demand

•Oxidative stress

•Insufficient dietary Co Q10 intake

•Deficiency of factors required for biosynthesis and ubiquinol conversion

•Potential effects from illness and disease

•Age-related changes in your genes

•And any combination of these factors

Further, as you get older your body levels of CoQ10 continue to diminish, making it even more difficult to maintain adequate levels.

So, if you’re over 40, I would highly recommend taking a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol, because it’s far more effectively absorbed by your body.

This is one of the few supplements I consider highly beneficial for nearly all adults.

CoQ10 is Essential if You Take Statin Drugs

Anytime I write about CoQ10 I absolutely have to share this fact with you, because so many people are taking statin drugs and are completely unaware of this important information.

Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol typically work by reducing an enzyme in your liver, which not only reduces the production of cholesterol, but it also reduces the production of coenzyme Q10. When you lower the production of CoQ10, you increase your risk of a variety of different health problems.

Premature aging is one primary side effect of having too little CoQ10 because this essential vitamin recycles other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E.

CoQ10 deficiency also accelerates DNA damage, and because CoQ10 is beneficial to heart health and muscle function this depletion leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and eventually heart failure. Therefore, it is absolutely vital to supplement with CoQ10 if you’re taking a statin drug.

In my view it is medical malpractice to prescribe a statin drug without recommending one take CoQ10, or better yet ubiquinol.

Unfortunately, many doctors fail to inform their patients of this fact.

What to Do if You’re Struggling With Obesity

As I said, a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol is one of the few supplements I consider highly beneficial for nearly all adults.

But simply taking this supplement alone will not be enough to help you achieve a healthy body weight.

If you need to lose weight, it will take a multi-faceted approach and I highly recommend you start by reducing, with the plan of eliminating, sugars and most grains from your diet. Eating foods that are suitable for your nutritional type is also an important aspect of shedding excess pounds, as you will then give your body the fuel it needs to run optimally.

Regular exercise and addressing any emotional blocks are also very important, and I suggest you work with a knowledgeable natural health care practitioner who can give you the support you need during your weight-loss process.