What Is CoQ10 And Where Does It Come From?
Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10 or Ubiquinone) is a naturally occurring quinone first identified in 1940. Coenzyme Q10 is also known as Coenzyme Q, CoQ, CoQ10, Ubiquinone, Ubiquinone-Q10, Ubidecarenone, or Vitamin Q10. CoQ10 levels are highest in organs with high rates of metabolism such as the heart, kidney, and liver where it serves as a molecule of energy transfer. (114, 66.5, and 54.9g/g tissue, respectively), where it functions as an energy transfer molecule. You can obtain a certain amount through diet, but depending on your dietary restrictions, this may not always be possible or advisable and supplementation can be a much safer option. Some of the richest sources of CoQ10 are salmon, tuna, other fatty fish, organ meats like liver and whole grains. Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish (such as salmon and tuna), organ meats (such as liver), and whole grains.
Is There A Difference Between Ubiquinol and Ubiquinone?
We should preface this section by stating that no variety of CoQ10 is decidedly any “better” than another. The only known differences between these two types of CoQ10, besides their color (ubiquinol is milky white and ubiquinone is yellowish) is that ubiquinol is a more expensive raw material and is less stable, biochemically speaking. That being said, a recent study did reveal that ubiquinol was slightly more effective when it came to maintaining better rates of tissue and mitochondrial uptake, improving cerebral function and reducing oxidative damage than ubiquinone.
Is CoQ10 Safe To Take If You Have Kidney Issues?
CoQ10 has been touted as one of the best supplements for helping support normal heart function. Still, you already know by now that when it comes to tackling kidney issues safely, you need to be extremely vigilant of every supplement you’re putting into your body. Coenzyme Q10, abbreviated to CoQ10, is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like quinone that acts as an antioxidant and helps encourage effective function of mitochondrial metabolism.
So, is CoQ10 safe to take if you have chronic kidney disease? Research has suggested that not only is it safe, but CoQ10 can reduce incidence of cardiovascular episodes, decrease oxidative stress on the organs and improve mitochondrial function in those with kidney damage.
The kidneys contain a very high volume of blood and toxins circulating through them at any given time. It’s akin to a washing machine’s spin cycle that never stops. And, this creates a constant wear & tear situation when the person’s kidneys are functioning at less than optimal capacity. With all that constant pressure, free radicals (the same compounds known to cause many types of cancers) ravage the body. This oxidative stress, coupled with the toxin load which impaired kidneys are unable to excrete efficiently, eventually causes kidney disease to progress at a much faster rate if left unchecked.Several scientists have gone on record citing CoQ10 as a potent nutrient able to prevent CKD from developing, alongside other powerhouses like vitamins C, B12, D and E, folate and magnesium. But, unlike these, CoQ10 has actually also been proven to benefit those already struggling with the illness.
How, specifically? In a recent research study which followed a group of 400 CKD sufferers, scientists observed that after being administered doses of CoQ10 varying between during a period of 4-12 weeks there had been significant benefits in cholesterol levels, creatinine levels and in oxidative stress markers.
Yet another study followed 97 patients with chronic renal failure and declining function for a period of 12 weeks. Those on dialysis receiving CoQ10 (60 mg three times daily) experienced a decrease in creatinine concentration and BUN, and an increase in creatinine clearance and urine output. The participants in the double-blind study who received a placebo, however, experienced no such benefits. Even more startlingly, this same study found that within the CoQ10-taking participants who were on dialysis, 9 of these people were able to decrease or cease their dialysis sessions altogether. This number was unchanged in the placebo group. Out of the entirety of the study participants who were taking CoQ10, approximately 81% responded positively to treatment.
CoQ10’s numerous benefits relating to heart health are also of vital import to those with CKD, since cardiovascular disease is often concomitant with kidney disease. As eGFR dips, mortality rate in CKD sufferers spikes and a large percentage of these deaths stem from heart-related afflictions, like coronary artery disease, sudden cardiac death and congestive heart failure. These are particularly prevalent in those with end-stage renal disease, but even among those living with conditions which pre-dispose them to kidney issues, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, heart issues are a rather consistently relevant concern.
This, of course means, that supplemental intervention with CoQ10 can provide twice as much benefit. CoQ10 is so beneficial for heart helth because it helps curtail the oxidative stress which contributes to atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries) by decreasing superoxide production in the endothelial cells, thereby improving cardiac capacity. Furthermore, glucose metabolism and lipid profiles are also favorably supported by regular CoQ10 supplementation.
What’s The Best Way To Take CoQ10?
Since CoQ10 is fat-soluble, it’s good to take it with food so it has a better absorption rate. Always be sure to take it with something healthy. A salad with olive oil is an example of a good, healthy fat that would help CoQ10 be better absorbed into the system and make its benefits much more quickly and easily attainable.
For more of the latest information on the best supplements, vitamins and other natural remedies to help support normal kidney function, be sure to take a look at our All Natural Kidney Health, Kidney Function & Restoration program in the shop if you haven’t already, read some of our free articles and watch our YouTube videos with fresh new content added daily.
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