Coenzyme Q-10

Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is also called ubiquinone because it belongs to a class of compounds called quinones, and because it’s ubiquitous in living organisms, especially in the heart, liver, and kidneys. This vitamin-like compound, discovered in 1957, plays a crucial role in producing energy in cells. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant, meaning that it helps neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. Manufactured by all cells in the body, coenzyme Q-10 is also found in small amounts in foods, notably meat and fish.

Coenzyme Q-10 is one of many substances in the body that tend to decline as people age or develop certain diseases. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that lower levels of coenzyme Q-10 cause disease, or that supplemental coenzyme Q-10 will combat disease or reverse the effects of aging. Some drugs, including certain cholesterol-lowering statins, beta-blockers, and antidepressants, can reduce coenzyme Q-10 levels in the body, but there has been no evidence that this causes any adverse effects.

Claims, purported benefits: Treats or possibly prevents many disorders, including heart disease, hypertension, AIDS, asthma, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, certain cancers, lung disease, gum disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, and allergies. Improves memory, boosts immunity and energy, enhances exercise performance, and combats aging. Prevents the rare side effects of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

Bottom line: In the early 1970s researchers found that patients with congestive heart failure had much lower levels of it in their hearts and suggested that coenzyme Q-10 supplements could help improve their heart function. Since then studies have yielded inconsistent results. In a small, promising study on coenzyme Q-10 and early-stage Parkinson’s disease, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that very large doses of coenzyme Q-10 appeared to slow the progression of the disease. Research into other potential benefits of coenzyme Q-10 supplements is more theoretical and/or preliminary. The research on the potential protective effect in statin users so far has been inconsistent.

The clinical research on coenzyme Q-10 is still in its infancy. If you have heart disease or Parkinson’s and are considering CoQ-10, discuss it with your physician, preferably a specialist. If you have heart failure, there are effective drugs available; at best, coenzyme Q-10 would be adjunct therapy. No one knows what dose or which formulation (if any) is best—it’s just guesswork at this point. There’s no reason to take coenzyme Q-10 if you are healthy. It is expensive—usually $15 to $45 a month, but $100 or more for the higher doses sometimes recommended.