What it does in the body
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, Mmuscular Ddystrophy, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels.
Levels of CoQ10 in the body can be increased by taking CoQ10 supplements. CoQ10 has been used, recommended, or studied for numerous conditions, but remains controversial as a treatment .1 There are no known harmful effects from CoQ10.
Food Sources
- Coenzyme Q10 is produced by the human body and can be found in most tissues of the body.2
Recommended Dietary Allowance
- There is no RDA for Coenzyme Q10.
Orthomolecular Dosage Range:
A recommended daily dosage for health maintenance is reported by some health publications as 30 mg. Considerably higher amounts (100-400 mg) are required in the treatment of the various diseases for which supplementation has been found beneficial. 3,4
1 Government of Canada
2 National Cancer Institute. Site viewed January 11, 2008. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/coenzymeQ10
3 Dietary Reference Intakes, Health Canada Viewed on Jan 18, 2007
4 Chopra RK, Goldman R, Bhagavan HN. Relative Bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 formulations, J Am Pharmaceut Assoc 1998b;38:262.