Showing posts with label coq10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coq10. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Taking Ubiquinol Supplement Could Prevent Heart Related Diseases

Ubiquinol is essential in the fight against LDL cholesterol. It can also protect against heart disease and improve heart function. Research of Ubiquinol, a form of the enzyme COQ10, has shown positive correlations between this substance and the bodies ability to fight disease.

What is Ubiquinol?

Ubiquinol is a form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). COQ10 is a vitamin like substance is found in all the cells in your body. It is essential for producing energy for which your body then uses to grow cells and maintain them. It is an unusual substance as it also acts as an antioxidant. It can protect your body from harmful molecules which can cause damage. Free radicals and oxidation can effect the aging process and cause age related diseases. It occurs naturally in some foods, but it thrives in meat cuts such as heart, kidney and liver. Soy oil, peanuts and mackerel also contain high levels. Coenzymes assist conventional enzymes in digesting food. CoQ10 has the ability to exist in three forms with Ubiquinol being the form with the highest absorption rate.

Sometimes Ubiquinol is referred to as Q10 when sold as a supplement and is available in liquid form or as a tablet. Ubiquinol itself contains an unstable molecule and should always be purchased from reputable sources. The substance reverts back to CoQ10 when exposed to light or air. This has in the past caused problems for pharmaceutical companies as it took over 10 years to stabilize the nutrient before going on sale as a supplement. Ubiquinone, another form of the substance, has been available for over 30 years, but the effectiveness of this supplement has been questioned.

What are the Results of Ubiquinol Clinical Trials?

Ubiquinol clinical studies have show a positive effect on the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body. Tests have also shown that taking just 150 mg a day can reduce LDL cholesterol by 12.7% in just two weeks. The denser particles of cholesterol, the ones shown to cause plaque formation and atherosclerosis, are more highly effected. Ubiquinol research has also suggested that it could be effective in combating advanced congenital heart failure. A recent clinical trial had patients taking Ubiquinol for just three months; some patients achieved a 50% increase in their hearts ability to pump blood. Also, levels of COQ10 more than tripled and improved the subject's overall health.

What are the Ubiquinol Side Effects?

Ubiquinol tests are ongoing, and the side effects are still not completely known. Some recent reports have questioned the safety of Ubiquinol after a number of patients experienced nausea, gastrointestinal upset and vomiting; despite this, random trials have concluded that the supplement form is safe. A single blind controlled study observed no significant and negative changes in the health of volunteers who took the supplement for 2 weeks.

People taking medicines to lower blood pressure can expect the effects of the supplement to be reduced. Also, care should be taken when COQ10 supplements are taken with blood thinning medicine and people with diabetes.


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally Without Statins

Are you part of the sizable number of Americans today who take statins or cholesterol-lowering drugs? Here is information you should never ignore: medications like statin drugs deplete your coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) reserves. CoQ10 is produced in the same pathway that statins work to lower cholesterol. This makes CoQ10 supplementation while on statins highly necessary.

However, you probably do not need statins at all, unless you have a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, which makes you resistant to traditional markers of measuring cholesterol. You are better off with natural ways of optimizing cholesterol.

Safely, Naturally, and Effectively Managing Cholesterol

It is vital that you understand the mechanism of action of statins if you are taking them or planning to. They usually work by reducing an enzyme in your liver, which reduces your production of cholesterol and CoQ10 at the same time.

If you are over age 40, you are highly recommended to take ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10. It is absorbed far more effectively by your body.

Probably the most urgent step to take is to naturally optimize your cholesterol, so that you can be spared from statins and the over 900 documented side effects that they have.

There are simply and basic strategies that can assist you in regulating your cholesterol. For starters, though, you must understand that simply lowering your dietary cholesterol intake is simply not effective. This is because 75 percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which your insulin levels influence. If you optimize your insulin levels, you therefore regulate your cholesterol as well.

Among the most profoundly influential ways to do so is regular exercise and playing close attention to your diet. Foods that increase your insulin also have a share in high cholesterol, because it makes your liver produce more.

Here are main recommendations for safely lowering and regulating your cholesterol:

  1. Exercise regularly.
  2. Reduce and eventually eliminate grains and sugars from your diet.
  3. Eat according to your nutritional type.
  4. Eat a good portion of your food raw.
  5. Ensure that you are getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats, preferably from krill oil.
  6. Avoid excessive alcohol and smoking.
  7. Address your emotional challenges.

On CoQ10 Supplementation

If you decide to continue taking statins, you should also take a high-quality CoQ10 supplement, which is taken by about 53 percent of Americans today (according to a 2012 Consumer Lab survey).

CoQ10 is the fifth most popular supplement in the United States. To get the beneficial form, though, your body must be able to convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol, which makes you absorb CoQ10 that is already in the active state your body needs. Ubiquinol has been widely touted more effective than CoQ10, with research showing that it may actually provide far superior CoQ10 benefits.

CoQ10 can be found in certain dietary sources. These include fish, organ meats (heart, liver, and kidney), and whole grain germs. However, you must know that food concentrations are not well-documented, which means it will be difficult for you to gauge how much of the nutrient you can get from food alone. Therapeutic levels of CoQ10 may then be difficult to achieve from food alone.

If you are below age 25, your system is able to convert CoQ10 from the oxidized to the reduced form. It is more and more unable, though, to convert the oxidized CoQ10 to ubiquinol as you get older. Other factors are at play in this conversion process.

So, again, if you are past 40, it is best to take ubiquinol.

There have been no documented side effects of CoQ10 supplementation, with overdose almost unheard of in scientific literature. And if you are taking ubiquinol, here is some cost-saving information: there is a patent on it, which means every brand has to buy from the sole company. Choose a reputable, trustworthy company for your CoQ10/ubiquinol formula.

Betina Loyola is a health blogger who pays special attention to natural supplementation. She has always promoted CoQ10 benefits on her blog, as well as factors to consider in choosing the best supplement formula out there.


What Is CoQ10?

While researchers continue to learn more about the benefits of CoQ10 supplements and the various ways in which antioxidant-rich CoQ10 can improve the health and wellness of people who take it, studies are also revealing some CoQ10 limitations.

In order to understand CoQ10 limitations, it is important to know what this substance is. This naturally-occurring substance is a fat-soluble cellular enzyme and antioxidant that is found throughout the human body. It can also be manufactured in a laboratory environment for inclusion in CoQ10 supplements like Ubiquinone. This enzyme works within the body, helping to break down food into usable energy while the antioxidant part of CoQ10 combats the negative effect of free radicals within the body by neutralizing them.

CoQ10 Effects on Cholesterol

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, CoQ10 is "Possibly ineffective" for reducing high cholesterol. This CoQ10 limitation is important to note, since many people associate this vitamin-like supplement with reducing cardiovascular issues and therefore assume it also works to reduce high cholesterol, a known risk factor for heart disease, stroke and heart attacks.

While taking a CoQ10 dietary supplement has been proven to reduce the negative side effects of prescription medications that are designed to lower cholesterol levels (known as statins), the actual supplement has not been shown to have any impact whatsoever on cholesterol levels.

Other CoQ10 Limitations

As doctors and scientists continue to explore the benefits of taking a CoQ10 dietary supplement daily, regularly monitoring which conditions can be effectively treated with CoQ10 products like Ubiquinone is important. The U.S. National Library of Medicine has listed a number of medical conditions, illnesses and diseases for which CoQ10 may be effective, however, there is insufficient evidence right now to actually rate this effectiveness.

Some of the conditions that CoQ10 has been used for include fibromyalgia, fatigue and lyme disease. Researchers believe that the supplement may help to support cellular health and counteract the inflammatory effect of free radicals within the body, leading to a reduction in overall pain-causing inflammation.

Using CoQ10 supplements as a treatment continues to be controversial for a number of health conditions such as breast cancer, male infertility and angina. It is also being used on an experimental level to help cocaine addicts reduce their drug dependence and some athletes have used CoQ10 products in an effort to improve their athletic performance.

In spite of these CoQ10 limitations, researchers agree that this powerful supplement is effective in both the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches. It has also shown promise in the reduction of symptoms of neurological diseases like Parkinson's, while some patients with muscular dystrophies report an overall improvement in their health and wellness when taking CoQ10 supplements. It is important to note that CoQ10 is widely considered to be a safe product, with very few negative side effects reported by those who use CoQ10 supplements. As with all medications, it is important to consult with a medical provider before choosing to take CoQ10.