• CAM-summaries
  • Alternative medical systems
  • Biologically-based practices
  • Diet & nutrition
    • Breuss cancer cure
    • Carctol
    • Co-enzyme Q10
      • What is Co-enzyme Q10?
      • How well does Co-enzyme Q10 work?
      • Is Co-enzyme Q10 safe?
      • Co-enzyme Q10 conclusions
    • Gerson diet
    • Green tea for prevention
    • Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet
    • Megamin
  • Energy medicine
  • Manipulative & body-based practices
  • Mind-body medicine
• CAM systematic reviews
• CAM and the law
• Prevalence of CAM use

What is Co-enzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q10 is also known as: CoQ10, Q10, vitamin Q10, Ubiquinone, Ubidecarenone, Mitoquinone, Adelir, Heartcin, Neuquinone, Taidecanone and 2, 3 dimethoxy-5 methyl-6-decaorenyl benzoquinone.

Coenzyme Q10 is produced naturally by the human body and levels are regulated by self-synthesis. Since CoQ10 is produced by the body, no deficiency symptoms or diseases directly related to low levels of CoQ10 have been shown, and there is currently only a small amount of observational study data available (ref 1). At present it is unclear how and whether levels of CoQ10 alter when people are ill, therefore it is unknown if supplementation is necessary at all. These facts notwithstanding, CoQ10 is strongly promoted as an "essential supplement" and various beneficial properties are claimed.

In terms of dietary intake, CoQ10 is found in meat, fatty fish (for instance, sardines and mackerel), whole-grain cereals, brown rice, pasta, wholemeal bread, soya products, nuts and also vegetables (especially broccoli and spinach). Commercially, CoQ10 is made by fermenting beets and sugar cane with yeast. CoQ10 is sold as a dietary supplement and is usually administered by mouth as a pill (capsule or tablet), however, CoQ10 can also be given intravenously. According to proponents, manufacturers and providers, doses range from 50mg a day for maintenance to 400mg a day for "therapeutic" effects.

A "coenzyme" is a molecule that is necessary for the proper functioning of an enzyme. The "Q" refers to the quinone chemical group and "10" is a particular type of quinone. In the human body, CoQ10 is part of the chain reaction necessary for energy production in cells. As well as this, some researchers class CoQ10 as an antioxidant (ref 2) as it is thought it might protect against excess free radicals which are thought to be implicated in tumour development. CoQ10 is also claimed to be an immunostimulant, however, this is based on not more than one study showing increases of IgG levels (ref 3). CoQ10 is found in most tissues; however the liver, heart, kidneys and pancreas hold the highest concentrations and the lungs the lowest (ref 4). Levels of CoQ10 are found to decrease with age. This is due to a decrease in mitochondrial CoQ10 content (ref 5); Investigations also suggest lower tissue levels in people with heart disease (ref 6) and cancer (ref 1). Due to this finding, researchers have started to investigate whether CoQ10 could be useful in treating diseases such as cancer.

According to proponents of CoQ10, there are three main potential benefits for taking it as a supplement: a) it may be an anti-cancer agent, b) it may support the body, lessening the toxic effects of chemotherapy and c) it may alleviate chronic fatigue. Unfortunately, to date, no strong evidence exists to support any of these approaches. The evidence that does currently exist is summarised in the section below.

In terms of prevalence of the use of the use of CoQ10, it is widely used in Japan, with government approval in relation to cardiovascular disease treatment (ref 7). CoQ10 is also used in Europe (ref 8) and North America (ref 7), with the majority of CoQ10 products being provided by Japanese manufacturers (ref 7). A good quality CoQ10 supplement can cost between 20 and 70 Euros for 60 capsules. Since there are no clear guidelines on dosage and length of treatment, it is not possible to give an overall cost. From a legal perspective, CoQ10 is classed as a nutraceutical and therefore suppliers can only advertise in terms of health improving properties instead of medical claims (ref7 ).

References

1. Folkers, K, Osterborg, A, Nylander, M, Morita, M, & Mellstedt, H. Activities of vitamin Q10 in animal models and a serious deficiency in patients with cancer. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 1997; 234 (2): 296-9.
2. Frei B, Kim MC, Ames BN. Ubiquinol-10 is an effective lipid-soluble antioxidant at physiological concentrations.Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Science.1990; 87(12):4879-83.
3. Folkers, K, Shizukuishi, S, Takemura, K, Drzewoski, J, Richardson, P, Ellis, J, & Kuzell, WC. Increase in levels of IgG in serum of patients treated with coenzyme Q10. Research Communication in Chemical Patholology and Pharmacology. 1982; 38 (2): 335-8.
4. Ernster, L, & Forsmark-Andrée, P. Ubiquinol: an endogenous antioxidant in aerobic organisms. Clinical Investigator. 1993; 71 (8 Suppl): S60-5.
5. Lass A, Kwong L, Sohal RS. Mitochondrial coenzyme Q content and aging. Biofactors.1999; 9(2-4):199-205.
6. Coenzyme Q10 PDQ. National Cancer Institute. [online]. 2005 [cited 2005 Feb 18]. Available from: URL http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/coenzymeQ10/healthprofessional/allpages
7. Jellin, JM., (Ed). Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. 2003; Stockton, California: Therapeutic Research Faculty.
8. Damkier A, Jensen AB, Rose C. Use of Q10 in cancer patients. Ugeskr Laeger. 1994, 7;156(6):813-8.