First, let’s talk about COQ10. What the heck is it? It’s an antioxidant but its job is way more involved than just that. It’s also a necessary energy transformer in cell mitochondria that aids ATP (cell energy transport). Mitochondria are these little power centers of activity in all cells to provide “respiration” and energy. They help our cells do their jobs. Respiration in this sense is how nutrients get turned into stuff our cells can use like energy. There is a lot of literature about the benefits of adding COQ10 to patients who have had cardiovascular episodes and in the prevention of CVD (cardiovascular disease). (See here for more information.)
Good thing our bodies know how to make this stuff since it’s really important for our organs with the highest energy requirements: the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and brain. Unfortunately, though, as we age (beginning in our forties), our bodies’ production of COQ10 declines. We can help our bodies produce more but before I discuss that, there’s something else we need to be careful about when it comes to this coenzyme: statins.
The enzyme that produces COQ10 in our bodies is also the same enzyme that produces cholesterol. Statins work by blocking that enzyme in the liver. So, if/when people get put on statins to lower their cholesterol, guess what also is blocked from being produced? *DING DING DING* That’s right! COQ10. Good answer! Which is why a lot of people are placed on COQ10 supplements when given statins or told how to change/add important foods to their diets, right? Or, are they? To be honest, every doctor in my past that hassled me about my cholesterol, wanted to put me on statins (some actually called in prescriptions on my behalf without my approval) and never once, not ever, did they mention putting me on COQ10 as a supplement or to modify my diet/lifestyle to make more of this important compound.
So, what do we do to increase production of this coenzyme? Well, an article in the National Institute of Health makes this even more interesting. In the past, we have been told to either take a man-made supplement or to increase our intake of fish, beef, and whole grains. Unfortunately, increasing the foods didn’t seem to make our bodies produce more COQ10 significantly so supplements were considered the best way. But, now there’s this information: chlorophyll. That’s right. The stuff that makes plants green and uses the sun to transform it into energy.
By eating foods high in chlorophyll (dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, parsley, watercress) or adding algae products (spirulina, chlorella) to our food and exposing ourselves to sunlight (and I don’t mean “exposing”, please be careful about being naked in public, people), increases production of COQ10.
Whaaaaaat? But how? Apparently, we might be more plant-like than animal because as the sun’s rays hit our blood vessels carrying those nutrients, we turn chlorophyll into high intensity, disease fighting, cell repairing COQ10. Pretty cool, right? If you’d like to read more about this, here’s the link to the article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22928808/ .
After Thought: For more information on all the data and details of COQ10, please visit Dr. Michael Greger’s website and watch his video: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-regenerate-coenzyme-q10-coq10-naturally/
Hart Health 