Simple Keys to HAPPY & HEALTHY

A sneaky nutrient shortfall is making 9 out of 10 women over 50 tired and foggy. Here’s help!

Thirty-seven years have passed since she landed her star-making role playing a detective in the TV show Hart to Hart — yet 74-year-old Stefanie Powers looks just as bright and energized as she did back then! What’s her secret? In part, she supplements with CoQ10 to keep her energy high. It’s a smart move since the antioxidant is needed by every cell in the body to turn food into energy — without enough, mood swings, brain fog and fatigue set in. And supplementing is especially key with each passing birthday, says Peter Langsjoen, M.D., a CoQ10 researcher in Tyler, Texas: “By age 50, 90 percent of women are low in CoQ10.” Among women who take cholesterollowering statin drugs, odds of a deficiency climb to 100 percent, he adds, since the medications block the production of CoQ10. The good news: It’s easy to increase CoQ10 levels for skyhigh energy and sunny moods. Read on for the expert recommendations.

TAKE THIS SUPPLEMENT

Surprisingly, you can be deficient in CoQ10 even if you take a CoQ10 supplement. The reason? “Certain forms are better absorbed than others,” says Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., a nutritional biochemistry expert. He notes that if you’re supplementing with the wrong form, your body uses only a fraction of the CoQ10 in each pill, which does little to reverse a deficiency.

Your best bet: Look for a brand that contains ubiquinol, which studies have shown is better absorbed than other types. A brand we like: Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 ($47, vitaminshoppe.com). The dose Dr. Langsjoen recommends: 100 mg three times a day. Note: If you’re taking blood thinners or diabetes medications, check with your doctor before supplementing with CoQ10 to avoid potential interactions.

FAVOR THESE ENERGIZERS

In addition to supplementing, food can help to optimize CoQ10 levels. The best sources are chicken, beef (particularly the organ meat) and fish. For meat-free options, reach for peanuts, broccoli and cauliflower. Also smart: Avoid or limit refined sugar and processed foods, which contribute to internal inflammation that depletes the body’s CoQ10 stores.

“I’ve added CoQ10 to my daily regimen. It’s given me more energy.”

Stefanie Powers, 74

AVOID INTENSE EXERCISE

Being active for 30 minutes a day three times a week helps boost CoQ10 levels, says Dr. Langsjoen, who notes that more research is needed to determine why. But sticking to moderate exercise, like a brisk walk or yoga, is key. Vigorous workouts like running can trigger oxidative stress that increases the body’s demand for CoQ10 and worsens a shortfall.