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Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is essential for energy production. It is an antioxidant—a molecule that has been shown to counteract processes resulting in disease.

Uses

Coenzyme Q10 deficiency primarily affects the heart and leads to heart failure. This deficiency can result from impaired coenzyme Q10 production or an increased need for it resulting from cardiovascular disease. Also, coenzyme Q10 levels may drop as we age.

A growing body of research shows that using a coenzyme Q10 supplement alone or in combination with other drug therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of several health problems, particularly cardiac conditions and diseases, as well as breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, immune deficiency, muscular dystrophy, and periodontal disease.

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation may be of special interest to patients with high blood pressure. The supplement has not only been shown to lower high blood pressure after 4 to 12 weeks, it actually corrects a metabolic abnormality associated with this disease.

This supplement can also be used as a pretreatment for cardiac bypass surgery. It has been shown to reduce oxidative damage and protect the heart during surgery.

Dietary Sources

Coenzyme Q10 is found in every plant and animal cell. Primary dietary sources include oily fish, organ meats such as liver, and whole grains. Most people get enough coenzyme Q10 in their diet. Supplementation can be helpful in individuals with certain health conditions and in the elderly, because levels of coenzyme Q10 can decline with advancing age.

Other Forms

Coenzyme Q10 is available as a supplement in several forms, including softgel capsules, spray, hardshell capsules, and tablets.

How to Take It

The general recommended dose for supplementation is 25 mg twice daily. Experimental doses include the following.

Coenzyme Q10 should be taken with a meal with oil since it is oil soluble. The body does not absorb it as well in the absence of oil.

Precautions

Coenzyme Q10 appears to be safe with no significant side effects. However, the safety of supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding is unknown.

Possible Interactions

Coenzyme Q10 may help to counter the toxic effects on the heart of the chemotherapy medication, doxorubicin, that is commonly used for the treatment of a variety of cancers. Supplementation with this coenzyme Q10 may also enhance the anti-tumor activity of doxorubicin. Contact your health care provider before using coenzyme Q10 supplements while you are taking this medication.

The blood sugar medication, tolazamide, and the cholesterol-lowering medication, gemfibrozil, affect coenzyme Q10 levels.

There have been reports that coenzyme Q10 may decrease the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications such as warfarin.

Supporting Research

Aberg F, Appelkvist EL, Broijersen A, et al. Gemfibrozil-induced decrease in serum ubiquinone and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol levels in men with combined hyperlipidaemia. Eur J Clin Invest. 1998;28:235-242.

Chan A, Reichmann H, Kogel A, Beck A, Gold R. Metabolic changes in patients with mitochondrial myopathies and effects of coenzyme Q10 therapy. J Neurol. 1998;245:681-685.

Chopra RK, Goldman R, Sinatra ST, Bhagavan HN. Relative bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 formulations in human subjects. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1998;68:109-113.

Haas EM. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, Calif: Celestial Arts Publishing; 1992:65-79.

Jolliet P, Simon N, Barre J, et al. Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations in breast cancer: prognosis and therapeutic consequences. Int J Clin Pharmacol Therapeu. 1998;36:506-509.

Kishi T, Kishi H, Wanabe T, Folkers K. Bioenergetics in clinical medicine. XI. Studies on CoQ and diabetes mellitus. J Med. 1976;7:307-321.

Landbo C, Almdal TP. Drug interaction between warfarin and coenzyme Q10. Ugeskrift for Laeger. 1998;160(22):3226-3227.

Matthews RT, Yang L, Browne S, Baik M, Beal MF. Coenzyme Q10 administration increases brain mitochondrial concentrations and exerts neuroprotective effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. July 21, 1998; 95:8892-8897.

Murray MT. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Rocklin, Calif: Prima Publishing; 1996:296-308.

Murray MT, Pizzorno JE. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. 2nd ed. Rocklin, Calif: Prima Publishing; 1996.

Niibori K, Yokoyama H, Crestanello JA, Whitman GJ. Acute administration of liposomal coenzyme Q10 increases myocardial tissue levels and improves tolerance to ischemia reperfusion injury. J Surg Res. 1998;79:141-145.

Shils ME, Olson JA, Shike M, Ross AC. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th ed. Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1999:90-92: 1377-1378.

Sinatra S. The Coenzyme Q10 Phenomenon. New Canaan, Conn: Keats Publishing, Inc.; 1998:127-129.

Singh RB, Wander GS, Rastogi A, et al. Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1998;12:347-353.

Werbach M. Foundations of Nutritional Medicine. Tarzana, Calif: Third Line Press, Inc.; 1997:209.

Werbach MR. Nutritional Influences on Illness. 2nd ed. Tarzana, Calif: Third Line Press; 1993:66, 119, 122, 179, 421.