What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 or coenzyme Q10 is a chemical substance similar to a vitamin which is found in every cell of the body. Your body produces CoQ10, and your cells utilize it to produce the energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance. It also acts as an antioxidant, which protects the body from damage caused by harmful molecules. CoQ10 is naturally present in small amounts in a many of foods, but levels are very high in meats such as heart, liver, and kidney, as well as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel, and peanuts.
Coenzymes assist enzymes to digest food and perform other body processes, and help protect the heart and skeletal muscles.
CoQ10 is available in the United States as a dietary supplement. It is also known as Q10, vitamin Q10, ubiquinone, or ubidecarenone.
What is CoQ10 used for?
Many claims are made about CoQ10. It is said to help heart failure, as well as cancer, muscular dystrophy, and periodontal disease. It is also said to boost energy and speed recovery from exercise. Some people take it to help reduce the effects certain medicines can have on the heart, muscles, and other organs.
Heart Failure
If you have heart failure, talk to your doctor before you take any supplement.
Cancer
In 1961, scientists saw that people with cancer had little CoQ10 in their blood. They found low CoQ10 blood levels in people with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck. Some research has suggested that CoQ10 helps the immune system and may be useful as a secondary treatment for cancer.
CoQ10 may keep the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin from hurting the heart.
Three studies examined the use of CoQ10 along with conventional treatment for cancer.