Coenzyme Q10 Prevents and Treats Heart Disease by Attacking Multiple Metabolic Pathways

Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) is well known as a critical compound required by the body to facilitate normal breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within each cell into energy we need for metabolism and life itself. It should come as no surprise that this vital natural enzyme complex may hold the key to prevention and reversal of many potentially life-threatening forms of cardiovascular disease.

Several research studies reveal that CoQ10 works at a cellular level to protect delicate DNA and reduce dangerous inflammatory levels that are closely linked to heart disease. Further evidence exists to explain how the coenzyme improves blood flow to the heart muscle and enhances vascular elasticity to prevent arterial stiffening, commonly referred to as ‘hardening of the arteries’. Scientists have also found that CoQ10 lowers unhealthy levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol by modulating gene signals involved with cholesterol metabolism.

Coenzyme Q10 Lowers DNA Stress and Inflammation to Improve Heart Health

Researchers from Spain publishing in the journal Age found that supplementing CoQ10 while consuming a healthy Mediterranean diet lowered markers of DNA damage within cells and reduced systemic inflammation. The net effect of this human study was a dramatic reduction in biological markers associated with cardiovascular disease.

The study was conducted by placing twenty participants, aged 65 or older, on three different diets for four weeks each: a Western diet, a Mediterranean diet, or a Mediterranean diet with 200 mg of Q10. The group taking the Mediterranean diet experiences moderately lowered levels of DNA stress, largely due to the anti-inflammatory effect of a diet high in monounsaturated fats in the form of olive oil.

The group that included CoQ10 had a marked decline in all metabolic markers known to promote DNA damage and a decline in cardiovascular health. The study authors concluded that the Mediterranean diet plus CoQ10 “improves oxidative DNA damage in elderly subjects and reduces processes of cellular oxidation. Our results suggest a starting point for the prevention of oxidative processes associated with aging.”

CoQ10 Increases Arterial Elasticity by Improving Cellular Energy

A Chinese research team published in the journal Atherosclerosis examined the effect of CoQ10 on the delicate endothelial lining of the coronary arteries. Endothelial dysfunction is known to be a progenitor to heart disease and heart attack. The scientists demonstrated that individuals placed on CoQ10 (300 mg per day for 12 weeks) showed marked improvement in arterial stiffness due to increased blood flow and improved cellular energy within their endothelial cells.

Scientific evidence is mounting to support coenzyme Q10 as a powerful tool when used to improve cellular energy levels and fight the advances of cardiovascular disease. Most new research is now evolving around the reduced form of the coenzyme known as ubiquinol. Ubiquinol has been found to be up to eight times more potent than the standard CoQ10 and last much longer in blood circulation. It is quite apparent that most health-minded individuals should supplement with CoQ10 (50 to 300 mg per day depending on cardiovascular health) to improve energy levels and improve vascular circulation to the heart.

CoQ10 Can Lower High Blood Pressure to Prevent Congestive Heart Failure

Reporting in the journal Biofactors, researchers found that patients with congestive heart failure that were supplemented with the active form of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) improved ejection fraction by 39%. Ejection fraction is a critical marker of heart function used to determine the volume of blood pumped by the heart through the vascular system.

CoQ10 is essential to convert nutrients to energy and power the cellular engine, and natural production in the body declines with age. Extensive research explains how you can benefit from daily supplementation with this powerful co-enzyme to restore healthy energy balance and prevent age-related heart disease.

CoQ10 Improves Quality of Life for Heart Failure Patients

The study conducted at the East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Francis Hospital focused on patients with advanced congestive heart failure that were classified as Stage IV, the most severe form of the disease. Patients were supplemented with 580 mg of the ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 daily to increase plasma blood levels by a factor of four.

The researchers found “the improvement in plasma CoQ10 levels is correlated with both clinical improvement and improvement in measurement of left ventricular function.” Prior to CoQ10 supplementation, most of the participants were considered critically ill and confined to bed or a wheel chair. After a regimen of ubiquinol, patients typically improved two classification levels (Stage IV to II or III to I) and were able to carry on a productive lifestyle.

CoQ10 Improves Blood Vessel Elasticity to Lower Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a serious problem that affects as many as one in three adults in the US today. High blood pressure is closely associated with coronary artery closure due to plaque formation and arterial stiffening as the normally elastic vessels require more pressure to fully circulate blood to the body. The result of a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism found that coenzyme Q10 supplemented along with other potent antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium) significantly increased small and large arterial elasticity that led to lower blood pressure and risk of a heart attack.

Subjects in this study received 60 mg of CoQ10 for a period of six months along with moderate amounts of the other nutrients. In addition to improved arterial elasticity, researchers found a significant decline in HbA1C blood sugar control and an increase in protective HDL cholesterol levels. The authors of the research concluded that the CoQ10 nutrient antioxidant cocktail “has beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, blood pressure and arterial compliance in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.”

It comes as no surprise to most alternative health-minded individuals that nutrients obtained from natural sources exert a powerful influence on human health. Adults will want to supplement with 50 to 100 mg per day (higher amounts may be necessary for existing cardiovascular disease) of the ubiquinol form of co-enzyme Q10 to maintain optimal health, energy and protection from age-related diseases of the heart.

CoQ10 and PQQ Boost Energy and Slow Aging

(Article first published as Natural Nutrients Shown to Revitalize Energy and Slow Aging on Technorati.)

One of the hallmarks of aging is a rapid decline in cellular energy. Energy is produced by a complex of small powerhouses inside each cell known as mitochondria. Mitochondria are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of free radicals and oxidation from normal metabolic activity in our body and begin to deteriorate with advancing age.

Researchers have demonstrated that powerful antioxidant nutrients known to enhance energy production by supporting mitochondrial regeneration can slow aging, prevent disease and extend healthy lifespan.

Mitochondrial Decline Leads to Chronic Disease Development

Mitochondrial degradation is directly related to loss of energy as we age. 95% of the mitochondria are damaged in a 90 year old person compared with virtually no damage seen in pre-teens. Researchers are beginning to tie the development and progression of diseases such as Alzheimer`s disease, type II diabetes, heart failure and cancer to mitochondrial decline and failure. 

Mitochondria contain their own DNA aside from the cell nucleus and remain relatively unprotected and extremely vulnerable to free radical damage. Over time the DNA sustains mutations that disable the energy producing capacity of the mitochondria. Many biologists now believe that the number of functioning mitochondria determine human longevity. The more functional mitochondria you have in your cells, the lower your risk of disease.

PQQ Boosts Cellular Energy Production

PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinine) is a natural enzyme cofactor that is emerging as an essential compound capable of mitochondrial regeneration. The results of a study published in the Alternative Medicine Review demonstrate that PQQ is a powerful antioxidant with a 5,000 time greater capacity to quell free radical damage compared to vitamin C. This prevents damage to the delicate mitochondria and prevents functional decline that has been shown to initiate disease and energy decline.

Research recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry demonstrates how PQQ not only protects the integrity of existing mitochondria from oxidative damage, but also stimulates the growth of new mitochondria. Up until now only calorie restriction and vigorous exercise have been shown to exhibit these characteristics. This type of news should make headlines as it is an indicator that the aging process can be slowed. You won`t hear this information though because it relates to a natural substance that can`t be patented by Big Pharma.

CoQ10 Works in Harmony with PQQ to Boost Energy Levels

CoQ10 has long been known to increase energy levels as it is an essential cofactor in the production of cellular energy known as ATP. PQQ and CoQ10 work together as a team to combat the effects of cognitive decline commonly seen in the elderly. PQQ stimulates the production and release of nerve growth factor in the brain that protects memory and learning. When both cofactors are present in the blood, tests of cognition are dramatically improved in aging subjects.

PQQ is naturally found in a variety of foods including leafy green vegetables, fruits, green tea and wine. Many people will need to supplement with the nutrient due to poor dietary habits. Ground breaking research provides evidence that this little known enzyme cofactor may hold the key to prevention of brain aging while improving cardiovascular health and longevity.

Coenzyme Q10 Improves Heart Health and Assists Weight Loss Efforts

(Article first published as CoQ10 Energy Boosting Nutrient Improves Heart Health and Weight Loss Efforts on Technorati.)

Coenzyme Q10 is an amazing chemical cofactor which is required by every cell in the body to produce the energy we need to live. It`s been shown to increase the level of energy to all muscles and is especially important to cardiac function as it increases energy production at an optimal rate. 

Coenzyme Q10 provides the necessary energy to fuel our immune system as it mounts an attack against invading pathogens, and improves the release of fat from storage by improving oxygen utilization. Our production of CoQ10 decreases as we age so it`s necessary to supplement with the correct form of this enzyme to achieve the important health benefits

Boost Energy and Improve Heart Health

The primary unit of energy used by the mitochondria of our cells is known as ATP and Coenzyme Q10 is the only chemical facilitator which can be used by the body to make this critical fuel. A shortage of this coenzyme means our muscles don`t function efficiently and the aging process is accelerated. Coenzyme Q10 is also a powerful antioxidant which has been shown to influence arterial elasticity.

The results of a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism show that combining Coenzyme Q10 with other powerful antioxidants including Vitamins C, E and selenium significantly improved an array of cardiovascular risk factors including arterial function, blood pressure, blood sugar and protective HDL cholesterol. Billions of dollars are spent annually on pharmaceuticals which are largely ineffective at improving cardio biomarkers and have the potential to wreak havoc throughout the body.

Provides Critical Energy for Strong Immune System Function

Our immune system requires considerable energy to combat potentially lethal pathogens and rogue cancer cells. Coenzyme Q10 has been found to help boost our immune system when an invader is detected. The coenzyme works at the cellular level by providing critical support for our natural killer cells which are the first line of defense in detecting and removing viral and bacterial invaders.

Coenzyme Q10 has also been shown to lower levels of damaging systemic inflammation by down regulating the secretion of chemicals (NF-kappaB) which lower our immune response. Researchers have shown that increasing blood levels of the coenzyme can raise antibody response by 57% which improves the time it takes for our immune system to respond to an invader.

Burn More Fat and Assist Weight Loss Efforts

Coenzyme Q10 provides needed energy to improve the effectiveness of exercise as it increases oxygen utilization and fat metabolism. By improving the efficiency of how raw energy components are converted into ATP, coenzyme Q10 stimulates metabolic rate and controls how quickly fat is released from our white adipose tissue. Researchers have found that combining Coenzyme Q10 with regular aerobic exercise significantly increases fat release compared with just exercise alone.

The importance of Coenzyme Q10 to human health has been confirmed by a large number of scientifically validated studies. Benefits include improved cardiovascular and immune system health from the nutrients ability to lower inflammation, increase antioxidant status and assist metabolic function. Most adults need to supplement with 100 mg each day to improve health and dramatically lower disease risk.