Friday, September 3, 2010

CoQ10 – Be Good to Your Heart

CoQ10 is one of the most popular and fastest growing supplements in the US. With more than 8,000 people in the US turning 60 every day, the growing list of ways that CoQ10 benefits emerging seniors is getting a lot of attention.

More than $413 million was spent on CoQ10 supplements in 2007, and the rate of consumption of the coenzyme is rising every year.

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) Moleule

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) Moleule

A vitamin-like substance essential to the production of energy at a cellular level, CoQ10 is present in every cell in the body. However the older we get the less we produce, and medical research has shown that there is a direct correlation between levels of this important substance and many of the problems associated with aging, including heart failure, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and more.

One of the foremost of CoQ10 benefits is that it’s a powerful antioxidant. As such it actually repairs and reverses the cellular damage done by destructive compounds called free radicals, which interfere with healthy cellular metabolism.

Cellular damage by free radicals plays a major role in the aging process. Studies have shown that oxidation damage accumulates throughout life. Some of the newest, most exciting research on aging indicates that many of the general health and fitness declines associated with aging show a positive response to antioxidants.

The risk of heart disease, the world’s number one killer, is known to increase with age. Both US and European research has clearly demonstrated a correlation between levels of the coenzyme and heart health. It is used with successful results as an adjutant therapy for patients with heart disease, as well as for those who have suffered heart failure or who are recovering from heart surgery.

Studies have proven that CoQ10 is an important factor in maintaining and protecting brain health and cognitive abilities, especially as related to aging. It is also being tested for effectiveness in preventing or treating a host of other age-related problems, including prostate and other forms of cancer, adult-onset diabetes, and vision problems like macular degeneration. It is even known to work against skin aging, and in fact in Europe the primary CoQ10 benefit is seen as an anti-aging skin treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease, the number seven cause of death in the US, may actually be treatable with CoQ10. Further research is needed, but a 2006 study by Johns Hopkins University demonstrated a clear relationship between supplementation of the coenzyme and improvement in the kind of cognitive impairments Alzheimer’s creates.

The study used groups of animals with Alzheimer’s-like brain damage. The group that got daily supplements showed no signs of neurological dysfunction and remained cognitively as competent as animals with no brain damage, while the group that received no supplementation showed rapid and increasing cognitive impairment.

The Johns Hopkins researchers said CoQ10 benefits include prevention against Alzheimer’s-like cognitive problems and dysfunction. Their findings concluded that supplementation of the coenzyme improves learning and memory deficits, possibly by inhibiting oxidative stress.

So how does it do it? Researchers think it may all be possible on account of CoQ10’s ability to inhibit blood clot formation, improve energy production in cells, and act as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants are substances that hunt for free radicals and escort them out of the body, which prevents the free radicals causing oxidative damage to cell membranes and DNA when they accumulate in the tissues and blood as a result of pollution, UV light, cigarette smoking, and as a by-product of normal metabolic processes.

Free radicals cause us to age more quickly, and they contribute to a number of health problems including heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidants such as CoQ10 can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

CoQ10 may have found its perfect partner in another potent antioxidant: vitamin E. Together they are the principle fat-soluble antioxidants in cells, and CoQ10 may help vitamin E act more effectively in the body.

Another friend of CoQ10 is the spectacular antioxidant dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA). It’s unique in its ability to zap every known free radical that occurs in living tissue; it’s also readily absorbed and has a very low toxicity.

CoQ10 may not work as effectively alone, so to take advantage of its enormously helpful health benefits, be sure to combine your good quality supplements with a healthy diet, stress reduction techniques, and responsible levels of exercise.

Orchard Nutrition Center On-Line Store carries an extensive line of CoQ10 supplement products. For more information, please visit their on-line store by clicking link below:

ORCHARD NUTRITION CENTER COQ10 PRODUCTS

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