What dosage and how long is it best to take Coenzyme Q10?

Nowadays, middle-aged and elderly people have a very high awareness of Coenzyme Q10. Everyone knows that Coenzyme Q10 is good and should be taken, but what kind of substance is Coenzyme Q10? What are its effects? How much should you take every day and for how long? Some friends still don’t know much about it, so today I will give you an introduction.

 Что такое Коэнзим Q10?

 Coenzyme Q10, also called ubiquinone. Chemically speaking, it is a type of vitamin that can be dissolved in fat. It mainly exists in mitochondria. The content of Coenzyme Q10 in the heart is the highest in the human body. The proteins, fats and sugars that we humans consume undergo a series of chemical reactions in the mitochondria to produce energy ATP and store it. Coenzyme Q10 plays an irreplaceable role in this process. It can be said that without Coenzyme Q10, The three major nutrients cannot be metabolized. A large number of studies have now found that Coenzyme Q10 in patients with heart disease, liver disease, etc. is significantly lower than normal people, which shows that supplementing Coenzyme Q10 can indeed play a certain role in health care.

 What are the physiological functions of Коэнзим Q10?

 Coenzyme Q10 is widely present in cell membranes, especially in mitochondrial membranes, and is mainly distributed in tissues such as the heart, kidneys, liver, and muscles with strong metabolism. The content of Coenzyme Q10 in the human body is only 500~1500mg[1], but it plays an important role.

 Role 1: The electronic “courier boy” plays a key role in converting food (carbohydrates and fats) energy into energy that can be used by human cells, ensuring the energy supply for various life activities of cells [2].

 Role 2: Antioxidant expert, reducing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, and regenerating the famous antioxidant nutrients vitamins C and E back to their active forms [2].

 Role Three: Anti-inflammatory helper, reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines [2], thereby helping to reduce inflammation in the body.

 What are the health effects of Coenzyme Q10?

 Coenzyme Q10 has the highest content in the heart, so it is generally considered to be most closely related to heart health [2].

 Clinical studies have found that 3 out of 4 patients with heart disease have low coenzyme Q10 levels [3]. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation can significantly improve the symptoms of heart failure and effectively reduce the mortality and hospitalization rates of heart failure patients [4] .

 An expert consensus published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) states that coenzyme Q10 as a nutritional supplement is an effective method to improve statin-induced muscle symptoms [5].

 In addition to heart health, deficient CoQ10 levels have been linked to a variety of other degenerative conditions and diseases, including migraines, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy, among others.

 Some studies have also found that coenzyme Q10 can effectively improve fatigue, improve sperm quality, and promote reproductive health [2].

 How to get enough CoQ10?

 Foods with high CoQ10 content include animal hearts, livers, animal meats, fatty fish, nuts, etc. Daily diets usually provide only a small portion of CoQ10.

 The human body can synthesize Coenzyme Q10 itself. However, the synthesis process is not simple. It is a complex multi-level project controlled by at least 13 genes. It requires a large amount of vitamins, amino acids, trace element precursors and cofactors. The lack of any of them will have an adverse impact on the synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 [2 ].

 There is another important factor that affects production capacity – age. The body’s ability to synthesize Coenzyme Q10 usually reaches its peak around the age of 25, and then gradually decreases. By the age of 65, the synthesis level is only about half of that at the age of 25 [6].

 In addition, taking certain medications (especially statins) and some disease states can also cause a decrease in CoQ10 levels in the body [6].

 Based on the level at 19-21 years old [100%]) Therefore, healthy young people usually do not need to supplement coenzyme Q10. However, as we age or are affected by certain diseases, relying on our own synthesis and daily diet may not be enough to compensate for physiological or pathological CoQ10 deficiency. In this case, proper use of nutritional supplements can help maintain adequate levels in the body.

What daily dose should adults take suitable ?

Nowadays, many middle-aged and elderly people are taking Coenzyme Q10, some of which are domestic brands, and some of which are foreign products. However, the content and dosage of Coenzyme Q10 between domestic and foreign countries are very different.

 At present, the content of Coenzyme Q10 products in China is relatively low. The National Food and Drug Administration stipulates that adults should take less than 50 mg of Coenzyme Q10 per day. Therefore, no matter which Coenzyme Q10 product in China, the dosage is within 50 mg per day.

 European and American countries recommend that adults take 300-400 mg per day, which is 6-8 times the domestic dosage. Foreign products range from 50 mg to 400 mg per pill. The safe dosage of Coenzyme Q10 is very high.

 The dosage of Coenzyme Q10 in our country has not been in line with international standards. When taking Coenzyme Q10, everyone can choose the appropriate dosage according to their own needs.

 If it is for daily health care, just take 50 mg per day. If you need to treat chronic diseases, the dose of coenzyme Q10 should be larger, between 100-200 mg per day.

How long to take Coenzyme Q10 Better?

 Everyone is also concerned about how long it is best to take Coenzyme Q10. In fact, we already have the answer through the previous introduction to Coenzyme Q10. The human body synthesizes Coenzyme Q10 every day, but as the body ages, the amount of Coenzyme Q10 synthesized by the human body decreases. The quantity is getting less and less, and Coenzyme Q10 is very important for maintaining human health, so Coenzyme Q10 needs to be taken for a long time.

 How to supplement Коэнзим Q10 more appropriately?

 First of all, you can make reasonable supplements by consuming foods rich in Coenzyme Q10.

 We can choose the appropriate Coenzyme Q10 supplement according to our health needs more easily and efficiently.

 Overall, coenzyme Q10 supplementation in humans is safe and tolerable. No serious adverse effects were observed in multiple short-term trials at supplementation doses up to 3000 mg/day [9].

 my country’s health food raw material catalog recommends a daily dosage range of 30-50mg for coenzyme Q10 as a market access standard, which does not mean that exceeding this dosage will cause harm.

 At the same time, considering the comprehensive effects such as absorption and utilization, it is also critical to choose the appropriate supplement form. For example, Coenzyme Q10 is highly lipophilic, and the presence of a lipid medium can increase its absorption rate. Considering the additional fat intake caused by this, choosing a healthy fat medium (olive oil) is a better solution!

references

 [1]Saini R. Coenzyme Q10: The essential nutrient. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2011 Jul; 3(3): 466-7.

 [2]Testai L, Martelli A, Flori L, Cicero AFG, Colletti A. Coenzyme Q10: Clinical Applications beyond Cardiovascular Diseases. Nutrients. 2021 May 17; 13(5): 1697.

 [3]Zozina VI, Covantev S, Goroshko OA, Krasnykh LM, Kukes VG. Coenzyme Q10 in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: Current State of the Problem. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2018; 14(3): 164-174.

 [4]Al Saadi T, Assef Y, Farwati M, Turkmani K, Al-Mouakeh A, Shebli B, Khoja M, Essali A, Madmani ME. Coenzyme Q10 for heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Feb 3; 2( 2): CD008684.

 [5]Raizner AE, Quiñones MA. Coenzyme Q10 for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Focus Seminar. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021 Feb 9; 77(5): 609-619.

 [6]Hargreaves I, Heaton RA, Mantle D. Disorders of Human Coenzyme Q10 Metabolism: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 13; 21(18): 6695.

 [7]Pravst I, Zmitek K, Zmitek J. Coenzyme Q10 contents in foods and fortification strategies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Apr; 50(4): 269-80.

 [8]Kalén A, Appelkvist EL, Dallner G. Age-related changes in the lipid compositions of rat and human tissues. Lipids. 1989 Jul; 24(7): 579-84.

 [9]Díaz-Casado ME, Quiles JL, Barriocanal-Casado E, González-García P, Battino M, López LC, Varela-López A. The Paradox of Coenzyme Q10 in Aging. Nutrients. 2019 Sep 14; 11(9) :2221.