Is Coenzyme Q10 Important?

The Importance of Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a cellular nutrient needed by every cell in the body. It is necessary for life and is involved in energy production in all cells including the heart. The heart contains enormous amounts of CoQ10. If there isn’t enough CoQ10 for the needs of the body and the heart, the heart suffers.

In addition to energy production, a form of CoQ10 also plays a role in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes. This role is especially important in nerve cell conduction and muscle integrity.

CoQ10 is also important in the formation of elastin and collagen.

An article in the November 2006 Reader’s Digests suggests that CoQ10 may be helpful in overcoming periodontal disease by promoting cell growth and healing of gum tissue.

Insufficient CoQ10 May Lead to Congestive Heart Failure

A number of physicians and scientists believe the epidemic proportions of heart failure today is due to the extensive use of statin drugs that inhibit cholesterol synthesis, and also inhibit the synthesis of CoQ10.

Karl Folkers was the brilliant chemist, who worked at Merck, and discovered the structure of Coenzyme Q10. He also devised the synthetic scheme for Coenzyme Q10. Merck apparently was uninterested in Folkers work, possibly because it could not be patented. Japan became the country that provides the worldwide source of Coenzyme Q10. Because of Folkers work Coenzyme Q10 is available as an over the counter supplement.

Karl Folkers warned that statin drugs, which inhibit cholesterol and CoEnzyme Q10, should include supplemental Coenzyme Q10 to prevent damage to the patient. It was rumored such a drug combination was prepared, but then not marketed because it might reflect negatively on the statin drugs..

Too little CoQ10 leads to muscle wasting, heart failure (the heart is a muscle), and inflammation of tendons and ligaments, often leading to rupture.

Numerous Disease States Respond to CoQ10 Supplementation

CoQ10 is essential to the optimal functioning of all cell types. The effect on a number of different diseases has been studied according to Peter Langsjoen, MD. Several diseases have responded favorably to CoQ10 administration. Part of the favorable responses may be due to CoQ10’s function as a free radical scavenger. It is a powerful anti-oxidant in addition to being necessary for cellular respiration.

It has been reported that CoQ10 reduces the cardiac toxicity of the cancer drug Adriamycin. The cardiac toxicity may relate to free radical generation and CoQ10 may have been helpful in its capacity as a free radical scavenger.

The antioxidant or free radical scavenging effect of CoQ10 may significantly inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This ability may slow the development of atherosclerosis, and ultimately active heart disease.

“We have only scratched the surface of the biomedical and clinical applications of CoQ10 and the associated fields of bioenergetics and free radical chemistry.” claims Dr. Langsjoen in his paper INTRODUCTION TO COENZYME Q10.

Some of the above came from an article entitled The Dangers of Statin Drugs: WhatYou Haven’t Been Told About Cholesterol Lowering Medication, Part 1 By Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD. The article was originally printed at the Weston A. Price Foundation website. Other vitamins or vitamin like substances played a role in the health of isolated peoples.

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