Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine by Lee Know

Author:Lee Know
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2018-02-01T18:42:28+00:00

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant, a membrane stabilizer, and a vital component in the mitochondrial ETC. It also regulates gene expression and apoptosis; is an essential cofactor of uncoupling proteins and permeability transition pores; and has anti-­inflammatory, redox modulatory, and neuroprotective effects.

CoQ10 is a vitamin-like molecule that is naturally present in just about every single cell in our body. Like vitamins, it is absolutely essential to life. However, since our bodies produce CoQ10, it’s not technically a vitamin. In order to produce CoQ10, the cell needs an amino acid called tyrosine, at least eight different vitamins, and several trace minerals. A deficiency of any of these impairs the cells’ ability to produce CoQ10.

Despite the fact that we can produce it, CoQ10 becomes more vitamin-­like as we age because we produce less and less with advancing age (with the body slowing its production starting in our late twenties or early thirties). Many believe this is by design, because by our late twenties, our prime reproductive years are behind us, and as we raise our children to take our spot on this finite planet, reduction of CoQ10 is Nature’s way of preparing us for our eventual exit. Considering how important mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation are to our health and longevity, by reducing the production of this one molecule, the body can start winding things down to make room and free up resources for the next generation.

Although we do get small amounts of CoQ10 from our food, it’s literally a few milligrams daily—not nearly enough for our bodies to benefit clinically, and supplementation becomes increasingly impor­tant the older we get. Unfortunately, absorption of this rather large fat-soluble molecule is challenging, which is a main factor limiting its therapeutic use.

Research has shown that oil-based formulations (typically softgels) are much better absorbed, and water-dispersible liposomal or pre-emulsified formulations are even better. Ubiquinol (reduced CoQ10) seems to offer much better absorption than ubiquinone (oxidized CoQ10), and water-soluble (solubilized) ubiquinol is even better absorbed.

Many familiar with CoQ10 also know it as an antioxidant, and its antioxidant properties are directly related to its primary function in the ETC, where it participates in redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions. When it picks up an electron from Complex I or II, CoQ10 becomes reduced. For this reason, CoQ10 is arguably the single most important nutrient for mitochondrial health. If the bulk of free radicals are formed at Complex I, we could probably guess that the next step in the chain would be the bottleneck. In fact, this has not only been confirmed by many studies, but therapeutically, CoQ10 supplementation has been shown to dramatically improve the status of patients with all sorts of health conditions. In a sense, CoQ10 supplementation essentially rescues failing bioenergetics, and targets the main site of free-radical production.

CoQ10 can even take free radicals and put them (or more specifically, their electrons) to good use, as it can bring those rogue electrons back into the ETC for energy production. But even more importantly, this antioxidant activity will help

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