Coenzyme Q10

I started looking around in an iPhone app I found, after I had been feeling wiped out for a while last February.  I got back to normal after a little while so I didn't think much about this again, until coming across an article this week.

Cholesterol Drugs Actually Cause Heart Disease, if you don't replenish your Coenzyme Q10!  Read more.

This doc feels that Ninety-Nine Out of 100 People do Not Need Statin Drugs but since my doc has me on it, I'll keep taking it, for now... but not without getting the C.Q10 I saw at the store.

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Coenzyme Q10 is critical for the electron transport system (ETS) to do its job of harvesting over 75 percent of the ATP energy from food. Because of this, it is important in energy production. Although a lot is found in the diet, it can become depleted during periods of excessive energy demands. Levels of Coenzyme Q10 are also significantly lower in women who use oral contraceptives or Premarin and Provera, which may in turn increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, most cholesterol lowering drugs deplete Coenzyme.

Wham. It's like a double-whammy hitting me. It's like they wrote this article for me. And it's not the only one.

2) Statin medications decrease your body's supply of CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is an essential nutrient for heart strength and function.

3) (Crestor) This drug is given to lower LDL cholesterol levels in order to reduce risks of a heart attack. However, this drug clearly lowers CoQ10 levels in the tissues, thus increasing risk for heart disease. Certainly, anyone taking Mevacor or similar type drugs should be on a significant dosage of CoQ10.

Statin-induced CoQ10 deficiency is completely preventable with supplemental CoQ10 with no adverse impact on the cholesterol lowering or anti-inflammatory properties of the statin drugs."

Then again, maybe I'm just lazy and don't want to do my projects at work. I am inclined to think not, though. But one doctor involved in this website says:

"If taking cholesterol medication, be aware that they cause Coenzyme Q10 deficiency. I strongly recommend that you take 200 mg of Coenzyme Q10 daily as well."

Some reports claim that statins (Crestor, Lipitor, etc.) interfere with the liver's natural production of Coenzyme Q10, reducing quantities by up to 40 percent. As a result, some suggest statin users take supplements of Coenzyme Q10, but warn that absorption varies.


"The best advice right now about Coenzyme Q10 is caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. It seems to be safe, but there's no good evidence that it improves heart health. National guidelines on the use of statins and the treatment of congestive heart failure recommend against Coenzyme Q10. If you choose to use it, take it as insurance, not as a substitute for proven strategies."

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ), also known as ubiquinone, is a natural, fat-soluble antioxidant produced in the body. How to Best Absorb Coenzyme Q10

Nice to know:

Best food sources of CoQ - Mackerel, salmon and sardines. Other sources are beef, peanuts and spinach.