CoQ10: My #1 Life Extension Nutrient/Doubles Lifespan In Mice (Order here: 20% discount)

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is one of the body's most important antioxidants and it is also required for energy production in all cells. In this post, I will review a study that reveals coenzyme Q10's remarkable ability to slow down the aging process. Coenzyme Q10 is truly a remarkable life extension nutritional supplement. I will also explain why most CoQ10 products have very low rates of absorption. My readers can order highly absorable Bio-Quinone Q10 Gold at 20% discount.

CoQ10 Dramatically Extends Life Span: Studies evaluating things that influence lifespan are difficult to conduct in humans because they take too long. Instead, researchers use small animal models which compresses the story into a much shorter time scale. I want to discuss an experiment done with mice that reveals the power of coenzyme Q10. This experiment was conducted by Emile Bliznakov, MD who subsequently wrote a book titled The Miracle Nutrient: Coenzyme Q10.

In this experiment, Dr. Bliznakov started out with 100 “old” female white mice that were between 16 to 18 months of age. One week for mice is roughly equivalent to one year of human life. Thus, at the beginning of this experiment, the mice being used were in their sixties or seventies in human terms. At 16-18 months of age, these “old” mice were beginning to show some signs of decreased immunity and declining bodily functions.

The mice were divided into two groups of 50 and maintained on optimally nutritious diets. One group acted as the controls while the second group was regularly given doses of CoQ10. At 28 weeks after the beginning of the study, 70% of the control mice had died compared to only 40% of the CoQ10-treated mice. At 36 weeks, 100% of the control mice were dead while about 40% of the CoQ10-treated mice were still alive and active with most not showing the normal signs of physical deterioration that are commonly associated with advanced age.

At the 56th week, 10% of the CoQ10-treated mice were still alive and thriving. This is almost twice as long as these mice would normally be expected to survive beyond the beginning of the experiment. At the 80th week (remember the last control mouse died at week 36), 4 mice were still alive and at the 82nd week, the last mouse died. In human terms, this is a lifespan of roughly 130 years of age!

During the 1990s as my interest in coenzyme Q10 was growing, I had several long phone conversations with Dr. Bliznakov about his research. He told me that from week 28 up to week 36 when the last control mouse died, there were amazing observable differences in the appearance and activity between the two groups of mice. Remember, week 28 to 36 is roughly equivalent to 92 to 100 years of age in humans. The aging control mice were listless and basically lay in their cages most of the time. Also, patches of their fur had fallen out and the fur that remained was dull and matted. On the other hand, the fur on the elderly CoQ10-treated mice remained glossy, their skin still appeared healthy and they maintained normal levels of activity moving around in their cages up until they died. Coenzyme Q10 is remarkable in its ability to neutralize free radicals, reduce the rate of mitochondrial DNA damage, and slow the aging process.

Drugs that Deplete CoQ10: The following classes of commonly prescribed prescription drugs interfere with the body's ability to produce coenzyme Q10: oral contraceptives, menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT), statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, medications for diabetes (both sulfonylureas and biguanides), several classes of blood pressure-lowering medications, heart medications called beta-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants and major tranquilizers.

I think everyone can benefit from taking coenzyme Q10 as a daily nutritional supplement, but it is especially important for people who take any of the classes of drugs I just mentioned above, because those drugs interfere with CoQ10 synthesis. How many people are affected by drugs that interfere with coenzyme Q10 synthesis? The numbers are staggering. According to the latest statistics, over 15 million Americans are taking statin drugs. In the United States in 2011, there were 94.1 million prescriptions for the statin drug simvastatin alone. In 2011 there were also 48.3 million prescriptions for the most commonly prescribed diabetic drug known as metformin which also causes CoQ10 depletion.

Dr. Bliznakov’s study shows that taking CoQ10 regularly not only lengthens life, it also dramatically improves the quality of life. Actually, I believe this is true for all antioxidant nutrients. They help minimize free radical damage which over time will slow down physical aging resulting in a longer healthier life.

Coenzyme Q10 Controversy: There is a lot of misinformation being circulated about coenzyme Q10. For example, Kaneka Corp. in Japan is one of the largest producers of CoQ10 in the world. They claim their ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is better absorbed. Actually, when ubiquinol is ingested, it immediately gets oxidized (reconverted) back to ubiquinone in the gut. Thus, many people are wasting money by purchasing the more expensive ubiquinol, which quickly gets converted to ubiquinone when it is ingested. Kaneka’s claims are great marketing, but not supported by scientific studies.

The melting point of CoQ10 is 10 degrees above body temperature. Thus, CoQ10 is generally crystallized. We CAN NOT absorb crystals. We can only absorb single molecules. In most commercial CoQ10 products which are in oil, the CoQ10 is crystallized in the capsules. You can easily observe this by cutting open a capsule and smearing the contents onto a piece of wax paper and then shinning a flashlight up from below. Even commercial CoQ10 products that are in solution in the capsule will recrystallize in the body.

Pharma Nord of Denmark has developed a proprietary heat treatment process that keeps CoQ10 in solution and allows for much greater absorption. Published absorption studies have documented Pharma Nord’s superior absorption when compared to other brands. Pharma Nord’s Bio-Quinone CoQ10 Gold is the most studied brand of CoQ10 in the world. There are over 75 published CoQ10 clinical trials that have used Pharma Nord’s Bio-Quinone CoQ10.

What Dose?: I recommend that people take at least 100 mg of Pharma Nord's Bio-Quinone CoQ10 Gold once or twice daily. I recommend that people who are taking a drug that depletes CoQ10 consider taking 100 mg of CoQ10 twice daily. CoQ10 is a fat-soluble nutrient. Take it with meals that contain some fat as the fat will enhance CoQ10 absorption.

Pharma Nord has agreed to provide a 20% discount to readers of my newsletter. Bio-Quinone 100 mg comes in two sizes: #60 soft gels/box = $53.95 or #150 soft gels/box = $109.95

To order Pharma Nord’s Bio-Quinone CoQ10 Gold, go to: www.pharmanord.com


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Tags: Coenzyme Q10, Ubiquinol, Ubiquinone