HH336: Key Nutrients: CoQ10

Welcome back to another episode of health hacks as I continue talking about key nutrients that can really make an impact on your life, and you may not be getting enough of them through your food. So today I want to talk about CO Q 10, which is a naturally occurring enzyme found in the mitochondria of most cells of the body. And as we age, our production of CO Q 10 declines. So three of the top benefits of CO Q 10 are that it enhances cardiovascular health by improving the energy production of heart cells and acting as a potent antioxidant, reducing oxidative stress and protect protecting the cardiovascular system, it may also help lower blood pressure and improve outcomes for patients with heart failure, co Q 10 is also very good at increasing energy and reducing fatigue, because it is essential for the production of ATP, which is the energy currency of cells, supplementing with CO Q 10 can help increase energy levels and reduce fatigue, especially in individuals with low levels of this coenzyme. And it has neuroprotective effects. It has this is due to its role in reducing oxidative damage and supporting mitochondrial function. It may help slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Now, as with any supplementation, you also want to look at some of the other factors involved. And so running a hair tissue mineral lab analysis will really help you to understand your electrolyte levels, your mineral levels, and that would be the starting point, and once we've brought those into balance and minimized a heart risk by balancing your electrolytes, boosted your energy, by ensuring that you have the necessary levels of those basic minerals, and then beyond that, co Q 10 is a great additive to add to your supplement regime, as with anything, we want to be making sure that prior to starting the supplement, you want to make sure there's no contraindications with other medications that you might be taking, particularly Warfarin or blood thinners, as well as high blood pressure meds or chemo meds. If you have digestive issues, you want to definitely start off slowly and bring your dosage up to the recommended allowance, just to make sure that your digestive system can handle them. And CoQ 10 is fat soluble, meaning it's better to absorbed when taken with a meal containing fat, taking it in the morning or early afternoon is recommended, as taking it later in the day can interfere with sleep. So hopefully that's helpful for you. And if you would like to know more, please feel free to reach out to me at melissa@yourguidedhealthjourney.com