Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Coenzyme Q10 is a chemical which is very similar to the known vitamins. It is also known as ubiquinone or ubidecarenone. Coenzyme Q is often abbreviated to CoQ10.

CoQ10 is present in nature and also in human tissues. It's major function is the generation of energy production. Because of its potent energy production capability, it is often found in tissues where high energy requirements are a must. These organs are the heart, lungs and liver.

CoQ10 levels are decreased in many disorders and disease such as HIV, Parkinson's disease, muscular myopathies, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. CoQ10 levels can also be decreased by numerous medications. There is no absolute correlation between levels of CoQ10 and medical disorders.

Even though supplements of CoQ10 are highly encouraged by the nutritionists, the benefit of these chemical is still in doubt. And the use of CoQ10 in medicine is controversial.

CoQ10 has been recommended as therapy for numerous medical disorders.



Dosing

The dosing of CoQ10 has not been scientifically derived. Sometimes, the dose recommended is that used in animal studies, sometimes the dose for human use has been empirically derived and in most cases, the dose has been obtained by simple guesswork.

There are many brand names for CoQ10 and each has different chemicals and ingredients and even the dose is variable. Even the effectiveness of many of the ingredients in CoQ10 has not been felt to be safe for human consumption.

Almost each brand name of CoQ10 has been touted to treat a variety of different medical orders.

No one really knows the active ingredients in CoQ10. CoQ10 products sold in stores have been found to contain variable amounts of ingredients. Early studies used low doses, while more recent research suggests that higher doses may be safe and have greater effects.

CoQ10 is only for use in adults over the age of 18 years. It can be taken orally as a pill.

Topical: For gum disease and disorders of the mouth, CoQ10 has is also available as a mouth rinse and can even be applied topically for various skin lesions. For gum disorders, rinsing the mouth once a week has been advocated

IV: A few years ago, CoQ10 was tried out as an IV therapy for use on heart disease. It has been tried out in coronary bypass surgery. Its safety still remains doubtful and the patients injected with the supplement did not show any thing significant.

Children (younger than 18 years)

CoQ10 should not be administered to children or individuals under the age of 18

There is not enough scientific information to recommend the safe use of Coenzyme Q10 in children. A qualified healthcare provider should be consulted before considering use of this product.

Safety

The use of supplements, herbs and many other nutrients in the USA is not regulated. There is no quality control nor is there any safety evaluation of any of the ingredients found in these products. Before consuming such products, read the labels and find out what the ingredients are. Speak to a health care worker and ask for advice before starting any new therapy. These supplements have been touted to treat all medical problems and cure every illness known to mankind. The majority of these products offer false hopes and rarely work.



Allergies

Like all pharmaceutical products, supplements like CoQ10 also have a probability of inducing allergies.