CoQ10: is it beneficial?

Over the past several years CoQ10 has risen to at or near the top of supplements people take and love. But what exactly is “coenzyme Q 10”, what are its true benefits and is it safe?

First let’s understand exactly what CoQ10 is. It has similarities to vitamins but it is not a vitamin; it is as it names suggests a coenzyme. So what then is a coenzyme and why would I need more of them? Simply put coenzymes work with your naturally occurring enzymes to aid in digesting food and further to help protect certain muscles including that super important one, your heart as well as skeletal muscles.

It is also known that CoQ10 also functions as an antioxidant which further protects our bodies from harmful even sometimes life threatening molecules. Also it has been claimed and there is some as of yet still somewhat inclusive evidence that CoQ10 can be beneficial in helping those with Congestive Heart Failure and cancer.

But do you really need a supplement? Isn’t there food with naturally occurring CoQ10? There sure is and there are particularly high levels found in organ meats such as liver and kidneys as well as some fish and even peanuts. And I firmly believe that key to all good health is a well-planned diet along with adequate exercise.

But even so it is difficult to the point of near impossibility to determine and then maintain the exact levels of CoQ10 or any other vitamin or coenzyme found in our food. So supplementation seems to me to be a wise action provided you always discuss your supplementations with your physician and/or nutritionist because there really can be such a thing as too much even of something otherwise good.

But I want to emphasize that there is abundant and growing evidence that CoQ10 can be very beneficial in heart health and in the body’s ability to fight and defeat cancer. And yes, of course, there are also side effects occurring in those who take CoQ10, primarily rashes, nausea and headache, but they have been rare and relatively mild. In addition to a stronger healthier heart and more energy I really want you to think about the role CoQ10 has played in defeating cancer.

Way back in the early 1960’s scientists observed that people diagnosed with cancer typically had very low levels of CoQ10 in their blood. Subsequently there have been several studies of exactly how CoQ10 might fight off cancer. Three of those studies involved 41 women with breast cancer. The women were given CoQ10 along with conventional treatment. All 41 women improved. Perfection? Not quite but a damn good result and well worth further examination.

So what I have observed is that there is abundant evidence to suggest that adding CoQ10 to your daily consumption is overwhelming a great idea with minimal side effects and potentially lifesaving benefits. But what CoQ10 is best? After all there are now hundreds of brands, mostly in pill form with a wide range of dosage levels. Here is what you need to know.

I looked closely at one of many CoQ10 capsules offered at a nearby market and one typical bottle offered 120 capsules of 100 mg of CoQ10 for a price of $28.00. But the typical absorption rate for CoQ10 in capsule form is from 7 to 9 percent so for this discussion let’s call it 8 percent, the other 92 percent just slides right on through with no benefit.

Then I discovered a amazing new version of CoQ10 that is uniquely formulated as a high absorbency liposome. CoQ10 in this unique formulation is absorbed at a much higher level of about 70 percent, or about 8.5 times greater absorption then the capsule form.

So if this new product delivers 8.5 times more benefit it should cost about 8.5 time more than the standard capsules, right? If true then this new product would cost about $238 but in fact it costs $81.50. That is still not cheap but when measure by benefit delivered versus cost it is clearly the better deal. Oh and by the way, how much do you spend at Starbucks every day and how does that help you health wise?

The evidence seems very compelling that the proven benefits of CoQ10 are substantial and real, while the negative side effects are few and mild. But to assure getting maximum bang for your buck you should look beyond mere price per capsule and consider the real measure, which is how much of the CoQ10 is actually delivered to your body. When that approach is taken I personally prefer CoQ10 Lipsomel from Therapeutic Solutions, Inc. You may check it out here: http://www.youcanordernow.com/

However you chose to proceed there is little doubt in my mind but that CoQ10 is a truly essential supplement for anyone unless expressly excluded by your physician after a thorough examination of your unique situation.

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