CoQ10 has been described as a biochemical spark plug. It is a naturally occurring substance that our body produces. Every second, energy factories called mitochondria are at work inside each of our 30 trillion cells, turning oxygen into pure energy. CoQ10 is instrumental in this process. Not only does CoQ10 assist in fueling the body, it is also a uniquely powerful antioxidant. In fact, a 1991 study showed that CoQ10 is better at preventing the dangerous free radical damage caused to arteries by "Bad" cholesterol than vitamin E, an antioxidant known to protect the heart. Like vitamin E, CoQ10 is astoundingly helpful in treating and preventing all kinds of cardiovascular problems, from arrhythmias to heart attacks, and even congestive heart failure. Karl Folders, a scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, is the father of CoQ10 research, and for the past 20 years he has consistently proven in dozens of ground breaking studies that CoQ10 protects the heart from failure by keeping its energy levels high. But this nutraceutical doesn't just keep the heart pumping. Through its profound energizing ability, CoQ10 can help treat illnesses as diverse as diabetes, chronic lung disease, and gum disease. One study even shows that the coenzyme can reduce tumors associated with breast cancer. For those of us who are in good health, CoQ10 can improve fitness by increasing our exercise endurance.

Coenzyme Q10 and Breast Cancer: A 1994 Study in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications reported that in 32 patients suffering from high-risk breast cancer and treated with 90 milligrams of CoQ10 daily, six had a partial tumor regression. The researchers then increased one patient's dosage to 390 milligrams a day, and within two months, mammography confirmed that the tumor had disappeared. Not only does CoQ10 have promising implications for breast cancer treatment, but studies show that CoQ10 can eliminate the heart-harmful side effects of adriamycin, an anti-cancer drug, without altering its therapeutic benefits.

Paperchase ref: 98430813 Jolliet P., et al. "Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations in breast cancer:prognosis and therapeutic consequences." Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther (1998 Sep)

Paperchase ref: 97442161 Gomez-Diaz, C., et al. "Antioxidant ascorbate is stabilized by NADH-coenzyme Q10 reductase in the plasma membrane." J Bioenerg Biomembr (1997 Jun)

Paperchase ref: 97411564 Atroshi, F., et al. "T-2 toxn-induced DNA damage in mouse livers: the effect of pretreatment woth coenzyme Q10 and alpha-tocopherol." Mol Aspects Med (1997)

Paperchase ref: 97320411 "Activities of vitamin Q10 in animal models and a serious deficiency in patients with cancer." Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1997 May 19)

For more information on nutraceuticals that prevent and reverse disease read "The Nutraceutical Revolution" by Dr. Richard Firshein.

by Dr. Richard Firshein