Dr Bollmann, Skin Care Specialist, Anti-Aging Expert
For the past 15 years, I have been a CoQ10 advocate, and have personally taken it. And just recently, I increased my dosage to 200 mg daily. We have known for some time about the cardiac benefits of CoQ10, in that it protects the cardiac mitochondria and helps energy requirements. But now we also no of other benefits.
CoQ10 has at least two important roles in the body. First, it is one of the essential cogs in the biochemical machinery that produces biological energy (ATP) inside the cells. Second, CoQ10 is an antioxidant. It helps neutralize harmful free radicals, which are one of the causes of aging.
Under perfect conditions, the body can produce as much CoQ10 as it needs. However, various factors, such as aging, stress and some medications, can lower the levels of CoQ10 in the body. As a result, the ability of cells to withstand stress and regenerate declines. Unfortunately, the levels of CoQ10 in the body almost inevitably decline with age. In fact, CoQ10 is regarded as one of the most accurate biomarkers of aging since its decline correlates so well with the aging process. In some studies, rodents treated with supplemental CoQ10 lived up to 30 percent longer than their untreated counterparts. The effects of CoQ10 supplements on human longevity remain unknown. On the other hand, it was proven useful in treating certain human diseases, including heart failure and hypertension.
What can CoQ10 do for your skin? Theoretically speaking, CoQ10 (in a skin cream, for example) can be helpful. In most people over thirty, levels of CoQ10 in the skin are below optimum, resulting in lesser ability to produce collagen, elastin and other important skin molecules. Besides, CoQ10-depleted skin may be more prone to the damage by free radicals, which are particularly abundant in the skin since it is exposed to the elements. Thus, CoQ10 may boost skin repair and regeneration and reduce free radical damage. Furthermore, CoQ10 is a small molecule that can relatively easily penetrate into skin cells.
Serum CoQ10 Levels Related to Risk of Dementia
A recently published study shows that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels correlate with risk of dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Starting at age 65, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles every five years. By age 85 years and older, 25% to 50% of people will exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
The subjects included 6,000 adults who were between 40 to 69 years of age at the beginning of the study. Researchers measured coenzyme Q10 levels during the follow-up period in 65 individuals who had disabling dementia with dementia-related behavioral disturbance or cognitive impairment and in 130 matched control subjects.
Higher serum coenzyme Q10 levels were associated with decreased risk of dementia. The data showed that the subjects with the highest coenzyme Q10 levels had a 77% decreased risk of dementia compared to the subjects with the lowest levels. Similarly, the subjects with the highest coenzyme Q10/total cholesterol ratio had a 79% decreased risk of dementia compared to the subjects with the lowest levels.
The investigators stated, “Serum coenzyme Q10 levels were inversely associated with risk of disabling dementia.”
