CoQ10
CoQ10 (Coenzyme10) is a molecule produced in your body, and it turns food into energy. It helps mitochondria during energy conversion and is necessary for human survival.
CoQ10 deficiency may cause heart problems, depression, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, male infertility or fibromyalgia.
As a supplement, it is most often used to help heart attack victims and people suffering from heart conditions.
What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 is an excellent supplement for overall energy and health. It will help you think and focus better, but it’s not a potent nootropic.
If you’re looking for a supplement to help you through a challenging project or event, CoQ10 alone won’t change your brain chemistry to give you the super concentration you need.
You can get CoQ10 from food sources, but the amount is insignificant. Peanuts, soybeans, broccoli and spinach are good vegetarian sources of this nutrient.
Meat eaters can get CoQ10 from sardines, mackerel, beef and reindeer (!) meat. CoQ10 shares similarities with Vitamin E and fish oil in that it benefits heart health and may prevent heart attacks.
CoQ10 is a good source of antioxidants and will give you a modest energy boost. It’s an excellent addition to your supplement stack if you’re over 40 or if you have a history of heart disease.
While it does show promise for migraines or depression, other supplements, such as 5-HTP, may be more helpful for those conditions.
CoQ10 is easy to find online and in vitamin and drug stores. It’s available in powder, soft gel and liquid form on most popular websites that sell supplements.
Other names
Ubiquinone, Ubiquinol, 4-benzoquinone
Editor’s Note
If you’re over 40 or always feel fatigued, there’s a chance you’re not getting enough CoQ10. When you’re in your 20s or 30s, your body can efficiently convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol.
When you turn 40 (give or take a few years), you lose this natural ability and need a more bioavailable form of CoQ10 that’s already converted into ubiquinol.
A 25% deficiency in CoQ10 is enough to cause heart disease or another illness, according to one researcher, Dr. Karl Folkers. Your heart needs a constant supply of CoQ10 to function properly.
As we age, the body is unable to extract CoQ10 from the food we eat, so supplementing with CoQ10 becomes necessary for many people.
Reviewers who use CoQ10 for fatigue, depression or migraines seem pleased overall with the supplement. Even users who saw no improvement in their situation reported no side effects or one minor side effect (eg, a headache).
There are a lot of discussions about which CoQ10 brand to buy, and how brands (and type- soft gel, powder, etc.) differ from one another, and which brands work better for depression, migraine, and other conditions.
As with any supplement, it’s important to read reviews and use the information to make the best decision for your health needs and ultimate goals.
When deciding what type of CoQ10 to buy, keep this in mind.
Ubiquinol, the reduced form of CoQ10 has been shown to be more effective than ubiquinone, the oxidized form.
A Japanese study showed mice given ubiquinol had a 51% slower rate of aging and 40% fewer signs of aging than mice that received ubiquinone.
CoQ10 Reviews
Bulletin board and social media users have experienced positive results after using CoQ10 for migraines, low energy, and depression.
“I’ve been taking it for over ten years, and it has been very effective in reducing both the duration and severity of my migraines,” writes Reddit user Dimples McGraw.
On the Surviving Antidepressants.org message board, user Zepplin2011 wrote, “I have been having good results with coq10 for my fatigue and depression
… I have experienced and improvement in energy and mood and take 200mg on an empty stomach.” User Silver Star wrote”Hey everyone! I am here to let you know that coQ10 really helped my energy levels about two weeks after I took it.”
