From chronic fatigue to congestive heart failure, CoQ10 offers benefits for reducing risks, improving health, and protecting the body. CoEnzyme Q10, also called CoQ10, ubiquinol, or ubiquinone, is one of the most abundant compounds in your body. Your body produces its own source of CoQ10. CoQ10 is found in every single cell in the body, where it plays two vital roles: CoQ10 supports the production of energy, and CoQ10 plays a vital role protecting the body from free radical damage. Evidence suggests that CoQ10 levels decrease with age. CoQ10 can also be affected by: 1. Statin use 2. Nutrient deficiencies 3. Beta blockers 4. Antidepressants 5. Diuretics 6. Cardiovascular disease How CoQ10 Works Every cell in your body uses energy to survive, to fuel cellular function, and to perform its specified function as part of the body. From brain cells to heart cells, every cell relies on this energy production process for survival. To produce energy, the cells use structures in the cell called mitochondria to convert glucose into ATP. ATP is then used to produce energy. When the cells convert ATP into energy, compounds called reactive oxygen species are produced as a waste product of the energy production process. Reactive oxygen species, also known as free radicals, need to be eliminated in order to protect the body from unnecessary and potentially hazardous damage. Each mitochondrion uses CoQ10 to fuel energy production. The CoQ10 in the cell also neutralizes the free radicals that are produced as a result of the energy production process. As an essential compound in the energy production process, it should be no surprise that CoQ10 plays a role in supporting or preventing: • Cardiovascular disease • Cardiac failure • Chronic fatigue • Dementia The Cardiovascular System and CoQ10 Cardiovascular health and the health of the heart are crucial for health and for survival. Cardiovascular disease in the form of heart attacks is the leading cause of death in America. The heart is extremely energy hungry. Your heart pumps about 100,000 times per day, or approximately 35 million times per year. Every time the muscle contracts, it needs and uses energy to fuel that contraction. The heart is the system responsible for providing the rest of the body with oxygen and nutrients. The heart is therefore extremely dependent on the availability of CoQ10 to fuel its functions. CoQ10 has been extensively studied for supporting heart health and for promoting efficient cardiovascular function. There are dozens of studies and trials that show that CoQ10 supports heart health, and CoQ10 is even being considered as a potential therapy to help reduce the risk of cardiac failure. In a trial involving 170 cardiovascular patients, CoQ10 supplementation decreased atrial fibrillation. The Brain and CoQ10 The brain is also extremely dependent on energy production. The brain weighs less than ten percent of the body, and yet it is responsible for producing and consuming more than a quarter of the body’s energy. Every thought you think, every movement you make, requires energy. Subconscious functions like breathing and heart rate are also regulated by the brain and, in order to regulate these functions, your brain needs CoQ10. The brain is very susceptible to free radical damage. CoQ10 plays an extremely important role in protecting brain cells and brain tissue from free radical damage. Once again, there are numerous studies that confirm the benefits of CoQ10 for supporting brain and cognitive health. One study has linked serum CoQ10 levels with dementia. The higher the CoQ10 levels, the lower the risks of dementia. The Body and CoQ10 The entire body relies on the availability of CoQ10. As mentioned, every cell relies on CoQ10 to produce energy. Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by fatigue and low energy levels, and this affects the entire body. Since CoQ10 plays such a vital role in energy production, it is not surprising that CoQ10 supplementation can help to support patients with chronic fatigue. In a recent double blind trial published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers gave patients a CoQ10 supplement, or a placebo, and then studied the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on some of the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. At the end of the eight-week study, the trial showed that CoQ10 supplementation helped to reduce maximum heart rate, and it was effective in reducing the chronic fatigue experienced by the patients involved in the trial. CoQ10 Supplementation CoQ10 is produced naturally by the body, but dietary sources of CoQ10 are scarce. CoQ10 supplements, such as those by Cardio Plus, are therefore the only viable and practical way to increase natural levels of CoQ10 in the body.