Why do you lack energy and vitality? Low coenzyme Q10 levels might be the answer to this question.
What is coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 (or CQ10) is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Your cells use CQ10 for growth and maintenance.
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It is a coenzyme that exists at a cellular level, and it works to stimulate mitochondria in cells to produce energy. It is a vitally important energy nutrient and a powerful antioxidant that is found in nuts, meat, and fish.
Levels of CQ10 in your body decrease as you age. CQ10 levels have also been found to be lower in people with certain conditions, such as heart disease, and in those who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.
Symptoms such as low vitality, confusion, and muscle and joint pain are often accepted as being a natural part of the aging process when they can be easily remedied by increasing CQ10 levels in the body.
Why is coenzyme Q10 important?
CQ10 is the main source of energy for the heart.
It is contained in all cells of the body, but it is most highly concentrated in the cardiac muscles. The heart beats on average 100,000 times a day. The blood that it pumps carries oxygen and nutrients all over your body, including to the brain. Maintaining good heart health is vital to ensure that all of your body is functioning properly.
Stress and different kinds of medications can impact heart health and deplete CQ10 levels, particularly lipid-lowering drugs. One-third of Americans over the age of 50 are prescribed these drugs on a regular basis.
Taking 100 to 200 mg of CQ10 a day can promote heart health, reduce confusion, provide energy at a cellular level, thus reducing fatigue, and eliminate free radicals that accelerate the aging process.
Where can you get coenzyme Q10?
You can obtain some of your daily CQ10 needs from naturally occurring sources, such as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel, peanuts, spinach, and broccoli. However, you would have to consume 1 pound of sardines, 2 pounds of beef, and 3 pounds of peanuts to obtain around 100 mg of CQ10. There is also a risk of destroying the coenzyme, depending on the cooking process.
There are two types of CQ10 supplements available. One is made from an extract taken from tobacco plants, and the other is a synthetic reproduction. The tobacco plant extract is the preferred option, as it is made using a fermentation process, which makes it closer in chemical composition to the naturally occurring CQ10 within your body.
