What's The Deal With Q10?
Posted by PR Neom, Jun 10, 2021
You might have seen Q10 as an ingredient in your skincare products but it’s a pretty popular supplement too. We tried and tested it before adding it into our limited edition Energy Edit. It’s vital to our cells if we want them to keep functioning at optimum levels, and while our own bodies do produce it DIY style, from the age of 20 onwards, the amount we can churn out begins to decrease.
Lifestyle and environmental factors don’t help as Q10 is used up quickly when stress, illnesses and ageing take hold. The same goes for a poor diet. While you can obtain Q10 via what you eat, you really need to be consuming around 100mg per day which is around 10kg of broccoli, 1.6kgs of sardines or 3kg of beef. Unless you’re training for an Olympic weightlifting competition, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to be anywhere near those goals. Which is where a supplement can help fill in the gaps.
THE SCIENCE BIT
You might be asking how important Q10 is, especially if you’re already rattling from multivitamins, fish oils and various other targeted solutions but it is a biggie. In short, we need Q10 to keep us firing. When oxygen combines with glucose it produces a chemical called ATP which goes on to produce energy, however one of the drivers of ATP production is the co-enzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone). Our bodies then convert this into Ubiquinol which is the active form of CoQ10 and allows our cells to go about their daily business. That means things like helping the heart muscles pump efficiently and effectively; lowering blood pressure by improving the elasticity of artery walls; improving cognitive functions and even keeping gums healthy.
Because CoQ10 is so closely linked with energy levels, studies have also found that people who regularly take Ubiquinol not only feel less stressed but they have better stamina and performance in sports. Let’s face it, when your insides are all systems go and your blood is pumping perfectly, you’re more likely to ace it when you’re active.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
One of the big things to look out for if you’re considering a Q10 supplement is to try and hunt out the ‘ol’ not the ‘one’ (UbiqinOL not UbiquinONE). That’s because it’s already in its active form and has better bio-availability so your body doesn’t have to waste time and energy converting it. It’s also a fat-soluble vitamin that works as part of our antioxidant defence system, fighting off and repairing damage and oxidative stress to our cells that’s been caused by free radicals in the environment.
Those who take Statins will benefit too (Statins block an enzyme that’s required to make CoQ10). Supplements can bypass this, ensuring energy levels stay up and risk of cardiac arrests stay down. Long-term use of Statins can also cause side effects such as muscle pain and cramping but studies have shown that taking Ubiquinol can reduce such discomfort by 50%.
Whatever your reason for taking it, if you feel like you’re running on empty it might stop you constantly reaching for energy bars or drinks to get you to the end of the day. That’s why you’ll find Healthspan’s Co-Enzyme Q10 in our Energy Edit along with other little pep-me-up offerings like our Nourish, Breath & Energise Hand Balm. Working synergistically inside and out you should start to feel full of beans more often than not.
