What you need to know about CoQ10
COENZYME Q10 (CoQ10) is essential for the health of virtually all tissues and organs.
Naturally found in the human body, it is present in the highest level in organs that require high amount of energy such as the heart, kidney, muscle and liver
Its primary function is to produce energy in body cells and act as an antioxidant to prevent damage from free radicals
Therefore, our body needs CoQ10 as it is the fuel for all biological processes in our body.
> “I’m still young and I don’t need additional CoQ10”
Our body’s CoQ10 production slows down as we age.
However, young adults may need additional CoQ10 if they lead an unhealthy lifestyle or have a family history of high cholesterol and heart diseases.
The need for it may also increase for those who have medical conditions or taking statin drugs (cholesterollowering medications).
Therefore, age is not the only factor to consider if one needs more CoQ10.
It ensures our body functions normally regardless of our life stages.
> “I’m on statin medication but I do not feel any difference in my body. Do I still need to supplement Co-Q10?”
Statin users often experience normal side effects such as frequent fatigue, body pain and muscle pain.
Certain people may not realise these symptoms but it is happening in their body.
This is because cholesterol shares the same production pathway as CoQ10.
Hence, when statin drugs block the cholesterol production in the body, it blocks CoQ10 production as well
Statin drugs have been shown to reduce CoQ10 level in the body even as short as a twoweek statin exposure period(4).
> “Confused over ubiquinone and ubiquinol?”
Ubiquinone and ubiquinol are two different forms of CoQ10. Both are equally important to our body for their respective functions.
Ubiquinone is required for energy production to keep you energised and keeps your heart pumping strong and steady.
On the other hand, ubiquinol acts as an antioxidant to neutralise free radicals and prevent cells from damage.
Regardless of which CoQ10 form is ingested, our body is able to interconvert between the two according to the body’s need
> How much of CoQ10 do I need?
At present, there is no established dietary intake recommendation for CoQ10.
Studies suggest a dose of 30mg to 200mg for those aged 19 years old and above for general health maintenance.
For those on cholesterol medications, 100mg to 200mg of CoQ10 is recommended.
However, this is just a general guideline.
People who are taking bloodthinning medications such as warfarin and aspirin should consult their doctors before consuming CoQ10.
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References:
Littarru, G.P., and Lambrechts, P., 2011. Coenzyme Q 10: multiple benefits in one ingredient. OCL, 18(2): 76-82
Saini, R., 2011. Coenzyme Q10: The essential nutrient. J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 3(3): 466–467
Pacanowski, M.A., Frye, R.F., Enogieru, O., Schofield, R.S., and Zineh, I., 2008. Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Predicts Lipid-lowering Response to High-Dose Atorvastatin. J Clin Lipidol., 2(4): 289–297
Marcoff, L. and Thompson, P.D., 2007. The Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Statin-Associated Myopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol 49:2231–22377
Kishi, T., Takahashi, T., Usui, A., and Okamoto, T., 1999. Ubiquinone redox cycle as a cellular antioxidant defense system. Biofactors, 10(23):131138