Some time ago I attended an amazing presentation by top Sydney cardiologist Dr Ross Walker on heart health. I walked away with so much information, however the standout was his belief that every person over 40 should be supplementing with Ubiquinol which is a concentrated form of CoEnzyme Q10.

We have known for many years CoEnzyme Q10 otherwise known as CoQ10 is very important for energy production for every cell in our body. In fact, it is commonly known as the ‘spark plug to our cells’.

CoQ10 is known to be an important supplement for heart health, and it’s believed taking CoQ10 after a heart attack may help reduce the risk of future heart attacks. It has also been found that statins which are usually prescribed for cholesterol lowering, can decrease levels of CoQ10 in the heart. This then means we have an interesting situation whereby the statins prescribed to lower cholesterol to help prevent heart attacks, in turn deplete the level of CoQ10 in the heart which we now know is important for a healthy heart!! A Catch 22 if ever there was one. It has also been found that muscle aches and weakness which are quite often side effects of taking a statin drug can also be helped by taking CoQ10.

The exciting news is it is now believed Ubiquinol is far superior as it has greater absorption and higher bioavailability. Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 your body uses to attain its benefits. Previously CoQ10 was only available in the form of Ubiquinone which needed to be ingested and converted into Ubiquinol to then become a more absorbable form of CoQ10.

However, unfortunately not everyone is able to convert Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol effectively. It has now been found from the age of 25 it becomes more difficult to absorb CoQ10 in the form of Ubiquinone and by the age of 40 it is strongly recommended to take Ubiquinol instead of the Ubiquinone form of CoQ10. By taking Ubiquinol you are effectively removing that initial ingestion process. Ubiquinol has far greater water solubility and much better absorption into the blood stream. One study found when CoQ10 was ingested as Ubiquinol, the levels of CoQ10 in the blood were up to eight times higher.

Supplementing with Ubiquinol is understood to also offer anti-ageing benefits. Many anti-aging professionals consider enhancing our mitochondria to be extremely important in assisting in prolonging our lives. Ubiquinol is an important factor for the production of energy in our cells and without it we will negatively affect our mitochondrial function. It’s believed supplementing with Ubiquinol can help with prevention and treatment of High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, Stroke Recovery, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Some find Ubiquinol can help with treatment and prevention of migraines as there is a theory the underlying reason for migraines is a dysfunction of the mitochondria and Ubiquinol’s important role in maintaining healthy mitochondria may assist in treatment of migraines.

Dry mouth and gum disease is also believed to be helped by supplementing with Ubiquinol. Studies have shown oxidative stress may contribute to dry mouth conditions. Oxidative damage can prevent salivary cells from producing enough chemical energy (ATP) to secrete adequate amounts of saliva and it is believed Ubiquinol’s ability to increase ATP production will in turn, increase saliva. Research has also found people suffering from gum disease such as gingivitis, bleeding gums and periodontal disease were low in CoQ10. Supplementing with Ubiquinol showed marked improvements with these gum diseases.

For further information on this topic or any other health topic call in to see Bev and the team at Go Vita, Your Health Shop at 5 North St, Batemans Bay or phone on 44729737. Don’t forget to tune into Bev on Go Get Healthy at 12.30pm on 2EC.