Most People Deficient
Ubiquinone, another name for coenzyme Q₁₀, was formed from the word ubiquitous because the enzyme was found in all of the cells of the body. It is a naturally occurring molecule that resembles the chemical structure of vitamin E in molecular appearance.

Studies in the United States and in foreign countries, such as Japan and Germany, show that coenzyme Q₁₀ is important for generating energy; protecting the soundness of gums and teeth; prventing heart disease, obesity and cancer, guarding the viability of sperm cells; and delaying the aging process.

Strangely, although coenzyme Q₁₀ exists in many foods, research has shown that patients with a variety of serious medical conditions are often coenzyme Q₁₀ deficient.

Many people are deficient in coenzyme Q₁₀ because it is present in live foods, and most of us subsist on processed foods. Coenzyme Q₁₀ can be synthesized in the body from tyrosine and phenylalanine, two amino acids, vitamins E and three B vitamins (B₁, B₆, and folic acid) as well as its relatives -- Q₁ and Q₉. It cannot be synthesized from any simple nutrient. As we age, many of us have a diminished ability to synthesize this important coenzyme.

Foods richest in Q₁₀ are beef heart, muscle and organ meats, egg yolks, liver, codfish, milk fat, wheat germ and various whole grains.

Coenzyme's Role in the Immune System
The immune system of the body is generally thought of as consisting of the thymus gland, the lymphatic system, the long bones of the body, the spleen, and the various products they manufacture.

Many illnesses are associated with abnormalities of the immune system. Attempts to improve the immune function of the body are standard therapy in the treatment of cancer, chronic infections, candidiasis, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Just as important but seldom thought about is the energy needed by the immune system to perform its job. Since immunity demands a constant supply of first-grade energy, Q₁₀ must be in constant and adequate supply.

There have been a number of studies concerned with the immune-enhancing effect of coenzyme Q₁₀ in animals. For instance, a study by Emile G. Bliznakov, scientific director of the Lupus Research Institute in Ridgefield, Connecticut, showed that supplementation with the enzyme increased phagocytic activity of macrophages, the germ-killing ability of the white blood cells. Also, supplementation increased the number of granulocytes (other killer cells) in response to experimentally induced infection. Coenzyme Q₁₀ also prolonged the life of mice which had been infected with a number of pathogenic organisms.

In some human studies conducted at the University of Texas in Austin by Karl Folkers and Y. Yamura, patients with various diseases, including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular problems, were given coenzyme Q₁₀ over a long period of time. The dosage was 60 milligrams daily. Significant increases in the level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) were found in the serum of these patients after three weeks to twelve weeks of supplemental treatment. This increase represents a correction of the immunodeficiency or an increase in immunocompetence.

Immune function appears to decline with advancing age. Older mice show thymic atrophy and a marked deficiency of the enzyme. Along with that is a pronounced depression of the immune system. This depression is partially reversed when the enzyme is given on a supplemental basis. Thus, it is probable that regular supplementation with coenzyme Q₁₀ will help to prevent or even to reverse age-related immunosuppression.

Formidable Foe Against Serious Disorders
People who suffer from fatigue or exhaustion and have tried and failed to correct this condition with the best known therapies often find relief by taking a coenzyme Q₁₀ supplement. Coenzyme Q₁₀ is needed to produce energy in the cells' mitochondria, the so-called "biochemical furnaces."

Perhaps the most exciting application of coenzyme Q₁₀ is for many types of heart and artery disorders, including high blood pressure, deficient heart energy, and low oxygen conditions threatening the integrity of heart tissue when blood-delivery is deficient due to clogged arteries or during a heart attack. It also reduces the pain of angina and regularizes an irregular heartbeat.

Until recently, the only hope for most cardiomyopathy patients was a heart transplant. Per H. Langsjoen, then cardiologist of the Scott and White Clinic in Temple, Texas, tried giving advanced cardiomyopathy patients 100 mg. of coenzyme Q₁₀ daily for 12 weeks and noted "remarkable" improvement. In his double-blind, cross-over study, Dr. Langsjoen reported increased volume of blood pumped, improved heart strength, and diminished shortness of breath, all with no side effects. These benefits have continued for three years.

Several studies were run concerning the use of coenzyme Q₁₀ and congestive heart failure. In one study, patients from mild congestive heart failure were given 30 milligrams of coenzyme Q₁₀ daily. After four weeks results were tabulated. All patients improved, with 53 percent no longer showing any symptoms of the disease.

Another study included patients with congestive heart failure due either to ischemic (local or temporary deviciency of the blood supply due to obstruction of the circulation to the heart) or hypertensive heart disease. Treatment included 30 milligrams of coenzyme Q₁₀ daily for one to two months. Fifty five percent of the patients reported subjective improvement. Fifty percent showed a decrease in New York Heart Association classification. Thirty percent showed a "remarkable" decrease in chest congestion, as proven by chest x-rays. The milder the disease, the greater the improvement, although those patients with a more severe problem showed improvement, as well.

Results were consistent with a positive inotropic effect of coenzyme Q₁₀, although the effect was not as powerful as that of the cardiac digitalis. In addition, coenzyme Q₁₀ prevented the negative effect of beta-blocker therapy without reducing the beneficial effects of the beta-blockers on myocardial oxygen consumption.

Digitalis has been used in severe cases of congestive heart failure, but the chance of digitalis toxicity at the dose necessary to attempt to correct the problem is always present. There is a distinct possibility that a combination of digitalis and coenzyme Q₁₀ might reduce the needed dosage of digitalis and the accompanying risk.

The remarkable safety of coenzyme Q₁₀ and the almost total lack of toxicity at the dosages prescribed appear to suggest that it might one day replace conventional therapy and become the treatment of choice for mild congestive heart failure. Coenzyme Q₁₀ might also be an adjunctive therapeutic agent to be used along with beta-blockers to prevent the impairment of cardiac functions that sometimes appear during this therapy.

Longevity and Nutrition
According to nutritional science, we should live to the ripe old age of 125 or more. We, all of us, are being cheated out of many enjoyable and productive years because of degenerative diseases common to aging.

For a longer life, nutritional intervention can be the answer. The biogenic potential for a longer life is a possibility for those who decide to take matters into their own hands and investigate the body and its systems: cell food, cell environment, cell exercise, and cell communication.

This article pertains to coenzyme Q₁₀ and its involvement with the generation of energy. The heart and liver contain the largest number of mitochondria (fuel cells) per tissue concentration; therefore, they have the greatest amount and need of the enzyme. The mitochondria contain a large number of enzymes organized and grouped together according to function, e.g., electron transport enzymes, citric acid cycle enzymes and fatty acid alteration enzymes.

These enzyme systems require coenzymes to function properly. The important cofactor in the electron transport chain and mitochondria is coenzyme Q₁₀. It plays the critical role in the pumping of protons across the mitochondrial membrane. As we age, the amount of coenzyme Q₁₀ in the body declines.

In humans, coenzyme Q₁₀ serves the following purposes that may be connected to the aging process:

1. Increases energy and exercise tolerance. Most aging people claim they do not have the energy to exercise or even to do more moderate amounts of walking. Research suggests this may be a result of a deficiency of the enzyme.

2. Corrects age-related declines in the immune system which can leave the body easy prey to bacterial and viral infection. Coenzyme Q₁₀ appears to be a significant immunologic stimulant.

3. Has considerable healing effect on age-related peridontal disease. When people can keep their teeth longer, they are able to eat better and maintain theit nutrition at peak level.

4. Defuses peroxide from within and without the body. Coenzyme Q₁₀ has a chemical structure similar to that of vitamin E, which may account for its potent antioxicant ability. Coenzyme Q₁₀ is able to inhibit lipid peroxidation in the membrane of the mitochondria; peroxidation which would attack the cell membrane and severely limit its energy-making potential.

We can assume that aging is the way nature limits the number of lives on earth to make room for new generations. Life extension requires many nutrients, and research is proving that coenzyme Q₁₀ can play a fundamental role in decelerating aging.