Coenzyme Q10, (CoQ10) is a nutrient that is responsible for healthy cell growth!

It’s naturally synthesized by the body through the liver. It can be found in the foods we eat like beef, chicken and pork, fatty fish such as trout, herring, mackerel, and sardines. It’s even found in some veggies, fruits, and legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Why Should You Care?

CoQ10 serves two primary functions. It fuels the mitochondria – the ‘energy powerhouses’ of our cells. It also provides antioxidant protection to help keep free radical damage at bay!

An Energy Enzyme

Our bodies require a constant supply of energy. This energy currency is known as adenosine triphosphate or ATP. ATP is synthesized through a series of biological processes in which oxygen is used to break down the food we consume and convert it into a usable source of energy! Pretty cool, right?!

Most ATP production takes place in the mitochondria. CoQ10 is the necessary spark plug for ATP synthesis. If we don’t have a spark plug, we won’t have energy production. No energy? Houston, we have a problem…!

Cellular Protection

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that helps provide protection against free radical damage to cellular membranes and to our energy producing mitochondria!

Although some free radicals are produced because of normal metabolism, free radical damage can be accelerated by a diet that is high in processed foods, including oxidized fats from vegetable and seed oils, low nutrient intake, lack of physical exercise, smoking, chronic stress, infections, and exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals.

Chronic oxidative stress starts to occur when there are too many circulating free radicals within the body and not enough antioxidant support to offset them. Over time, excessive oxidative stress leads to premature and accelerated aging, declining health and possible progression of various cardiovascular and neurological conditions involving damaged tissues and cellular dysfunction.

What’s unique about CoQ10 is that within the body it naturally possesses the ability to restore itself back to an oxidized state (ubiquinone) after acting as an antioxidant for floating free radicals. In all its inherent wisdom, our bodies can naturally produce ubiquinone and convert it to ubiquinol as required. Pretty cool, don’t you think?

…and More!

But that’s not all CoQ10 does! It’s important for heart and reproductive health, blood sugar regulation, it can help with migraines and headaches, and it can even help to boost the immune system!

How Can You Prevent Declining CoQ10 Levels?

Around the age of thirty-five, our ability to naturally produce CoQ10 begins to decline. But there are things you can do to help prevent this!

Make sure to eat lots of fruits, veggies, and CoQ10 rich foods (like the ones we mentioned in our intro!). It’s especially important to get lots of B vitamins from foods like whole grains, meat, eggs, legumes, seeds and nuts, and dark leafy green veggies!

How Can You Supplement CoQ10?

Just like in the body, CoQ10 can be found in supplement form!

CoQ10 Ubiquinol in Supplement Form

We know that in the body the oxidized form of CoQ10 is known as ubiquinone, and this form can be converted into an active form — known as ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol in supplemental form may provide greater antioxidant protection because it can be readily used (no need for conversion!). However, ubiquinol in supplement form can also be highly unstable and there is potential for this form to revert to ubiquinone, if it oxidizes.

Innovites’ Inno-Q-Nol® is the most bioactive form of coenzyme that features a patented process to help shield stability against oxidation. This involves a three-tier approach that keeps ubiquinol stable.  It includes ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C) to stop internal oxidation, medium chain triglycerides oil for overall stability, and annatto seed extract within the capsule to prevent against external oxidation.

Have you heard of CoQ10? If you’ve got questions ask them below!