New Fibromyalgia Study Shows That CoQ10 May Be Helpful

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New Fibromyalgia Study Shows That CoQ10 May Be Helpful

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Discovered by researchers at the University of Wisconsin in 1957, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is a powerful antioxidant. Its name comes from the word ubiquitous, which means, “found everywhere.” Indeed, CoQ10 is found in every cell of the body. This fat-soluble, vitamin-like enzyme is more abundant in some cells and organs than in others. It tends to congregate in the organs, which need the most energy, especially the heart, brain, and liver.

The primary function of CoQ10 is to provide cellular energy. In each cell there are organelles (small organ cells) known as mitochondria. They allow a chain of chemical reactions to create a spark, which generates 95 percent of the body’s energy. CoQ10 is the spark that helps ignite the energy production within the mitochondria. Without CoQ10 there is no cellular energy!

CoQ10 is more abundant in some cells and organs than in others. It tends to congregate in the organs, which need the most energy including the heart and liver. Researchers investigating CoQ10 have estimated that as little as a 25 percent reduction in bodily CoQ10 will trigger various disease processes including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer, and immune system dysfunction.  A growing body of research shows that (CoQ10) may benefit a number of unwanted health conditions, including diabetes, periodontal disease, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, skin cancers, diabetes, infertility, cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, asthma, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.

And now, CoQ10 has been shown to benefit those with Fibromyalgia.

CoQ10 can’t be manufactured by the body. Instead, we must obtain CoQ10 from the foods we eat. Meat, dairy, and certain vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, contain the highest concentrations of CoQ10. We tend to absorb and utilize less CoQ10 as we age.

However, obtaining adequate amounts of CoQ10 through diet alone poses a real challenge. It would take one pound of sardines, or two-and-a-half pounds of peanuts, to provide about 30 mg of CoQ10. This is at the very minimum of the recommended daily allowance. In reality, the typical daily intake of CoQ10 from dietary sources is only about 3-5 mg per day. This paltry amount isn’t anywhere near the level required to significantly raise blood and tissue levels.

And the fact that we tend to absorb and utilize less as we age increases the risk of developing a CoQ10 deficiency. And it doesn’t take much of a decline for our health starts to suffer.

What’s more, the biosynthesis of CoQ10 from the amino acid tyrosine is a complex, highly vulnerable 17-step process. It requires at least seven vitamins (Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, folic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, and B5) and several trace elements. Most American diets are deficient in at least one, if not all, of the cofactors for making CoQ10; 71 percent are deficient in vitamin B-6 alone.

Dr Karl Folkers, who has been honored with the Priestly Medal, the highest award bestowed by the American Chemical Society, for his work with CoQ10, believes that suboptimal nutrient intake in man is almost universal and these deficiencies prevent the biosynthesis of CoQ1O. He suggests that since the average or “normal” levels of CoQ10 are really suboptimal, the very low levels observed in advanced disease states represent only the tip of a deficiency. Unless we are supplementing with CoQ10, we may be, in fact, suffering from a CoQ10 deficiency. Given the added stress posed in today’s society and the need for an ever-increasing amount of antioxidants to counter this stress, could it be that many of our chronic illnesses are due too, or made worse by suboptimal levels of CoQ10?

We know that a CoQ10 deficiency can cause muscle weakness, nerve damage (neuropathy), back pain, inflammation of tendons and ligaments, hypertension, heart disease, angina, accelerated aging, certain cancers, and various neurodegenerative diseases.

The New Mendus Study

Joshua Grant, a neuroscientist with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), created a platform called Mendus that patient communities can use to produce their own clinical trials. With 144 people contributing data, the MitoQ ME/CFS and FM study is the largest Mendus trial to date. MitoQ is an amped up form of CoQ10, an essential mitochondrial factor and antioxidant. Several studies also suggest it may be helpful in ME/CFS or FM.

CoQ10’s uptake rate into the mitochondria, however, is low.  Mitoquinone or ‘MitoQ’ is a form of ubiquinone (CoQ10) which has been engineered for significantly better mitochondrial uptake. It has the potential to be many times more effective than standard CoQ10.

Studies suggest that mitochondrial problems may be present in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and/or fibromyalgia (FM), patients.  The FM patient reported that 6 weeks of MitoQ led to decreases in pain of 33% and 24% for the parallel groups’ analysis and crossover analysis respectively. Increases in working memory capacity were also observed (13% and 10% respectively, amounting to nearly a 1-digit improvement in memory). The ME/CFS group did not fare so well; a parallel analysis actually found reduced sleep quality in ME/CFS group compared to the placebo group (19%). Previous of studies have also shown that CoQ10 may be helpful for improving energy and reducing pain in those with fibromyalgia.*

1. Effect of coenzyme Q10 evaluated by 1990 and 2010 ACR Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and SCL-90-R: four case reports and literature review.

2. Can coenzyme q10 improve clinical and molecular parameters in fibromyalgia?


 P.S Don’t forget to join me for, Fibromyalgia: Your Questions Answered

Treating And Beating Fibromyalgia Teleconference 9-20-16

4pm PST, 5pm MST, 6pm CST, 7pm EST

Call-in:  218-844-1930

Access code: 986495


These patients and hundreds of others who’ve worked personally with me have in fact beaten their fibromyalgia. You can read or listen to their stories by clicking the link below:

cynthia

Cynthia's Story

jana
Janna's Story

robin

Robin's Story

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4 replies
  1. Deborah Spears
    Deborah Spears says:

    Is the brand Cosamin acceptable? My pharmacist suggested it rather than the brand of COQ10 he carried.

    Reply

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