CoQ10 is very beneficial
in treating and preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), as
well as conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis,
angina, and congestive heart failure (CHF). It is also beneficial
for diabetes, immune dysfunction, cancer, periodontal disease,
prostate cancer, and neurological disease. CoQ10 is especially
important in heart health because it is essential to the heart’s
optimum performance. Because the heart requires large amounts
of energy, heart cells have a greater number of mitochondria,
and henceforth, more CoQ10 than any other type of cell. Since
heart disease patients are commonly deficient in CoQ10, correcting
these deficiencies can produce amazing results, such as repairing
the heart muscle and restoring heart function in those who
have heart attacks. A 1998 study concluded that CoQ10, when
administered within three days of the onset of symptoms of
a heart attack, can provide rapid protective effects in patients.
In a similar study, CoQ10 was studied in 109 patients with
high blood pressure, which resulted in a highly significant
improvement in heart wall thickness and function. In a third
study, CoQ10 showed results of restoring healthy heart function
in CHF patients.
CoQ10 has also been studied for its ability
to help people with neurological diseases such as amotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s
disease. Research by the National Institutes of Health has
determined that CoQ10 causes a slowing of the progression
of Huntington’s disease (HD), which is a degenerative
that is always fatal with no medication, drug, or nutritional
supplement that can cause a decline in the progression of
the disease. This study, which compared CoQ10 against remacemide
(an investigational drug for Huntington’s disease),
determined that remacemide had no effect on the progression
of HD, yet CoQ10 showed a trend of slowing the disease by
an average of 15%. This allowed HD patients to handle every
day activities of life a little longer, approximately one
year, as well as focus their attention better, and be less
depressed and less irritable. Thanks to these results, researchers
are very hopeful that the studies of CoQ10 on those with ALS
and Parkinson’s disease will have similar positive effects
on symptoms and progression of these neurological disorders.
The brain’s “blood brain barrier”
is made up of tight junctions formed by cells. This barrier
restricts what nutrients can pass from the bloodstream into
the brain. Although this barrier protects the brain, it is
also a very big obstacle when it comes to treating central
nervous system disorders. Only substances with unique solubilities
or those with a transport system are able to cross the blood-brain
barrier to a significant degree. Even though most CoQ10 supplements
enter the bloodstream and increase blood serum levels, only
special forms of CoQ10 are able to cross the blood-brain barrier
and enter the mitochondria within the brain, where it can
produce significant neurosupportive results.
Because supplements often have more than
one function, CoQ10 has applications not only in neurological
and cardiac health, but also in the immune system. However,
not all CoQ10 products are the same. Each one varies greatly
in quality and absorbability. It’s very important to
find a product that demonstrates the four following qualities.
Firstly, the CoQ10 should be scientifically shown to absorb
through the digestive tract, as well as cross cellular membranes,
and increase mitochondrial levels of CoQ10. Chewable forms
of CoQ10 provide rapid absorption. In order for a CoQ10 supplement
to be fully effective, it must cross the cellular barrier
and raise intracellular CoQ10 levels. An important indicator
in a good CoQ10 product is its ability to get to the mitochondria.
Secondly, the supplement you take should be a natural form
of CoQ10. Instead of buying a chemically synthesized product,
look for one that is naturally processed, using living organisms.
Thirdly, your CoQ10 product should be formulated with ingredients
that provide the transport system CoQ10 needs to cross the
cellular membranes and blood-brain barrier. Because not all
forms of CoQ10 have been scientifically proven to do this,
look for a prestigious group that has investigated this issue,
including: researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and
Harvard Medical School. Lastly, be sure to buy a product that
has been studied by a respected organization whose research
has been published.
Each day, the average person should take
between 100 mg to 200 mg of CoQ10. Because studies of CoQ10
have used dosages ranging from 100 mg to 1200 mg per day,
no toxicities have been reported at this time. However, an
occasional mild stomach upset may occur, which can be alleviated
by taking the supplement with meals. If you have an interest
for other heart-friendly supplements, L-carnitine is a naturally
occurring form of carnitine that transports fatty acids into
cell mitochondria, where it can be burned for energy. It is
an excellent addition to CoQ10, especially for people with
heart disease. Along with maintaining overall cardiovascular
health, it’s important to take care of your fats/lipids
levels as well as your blood pressure. Fish oil supplements
can significantly reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and
homocysteine levels, while, an enteric-coated garlic product
with 5,000 mcg of beneficial allicin helps support healthy
blood pressure and circulation. Magnesium, niacin, vitamin
E, folic acid, hawthorn extract, and L-cysteine provide overall
nutritional support to the heart and vascular system as well.
All these great natural vitamin supplements can be found at
your friendly internet health food store.
About the Author:
Visit VitaNet Health Foods at http://vitanetonline.com/
VitaNet sells high quality supplements like CoQ10 for a healthy
Heart.
Read more articles by: Darrell Miller
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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