How co-Q10 could slow the signs of ageing

From a healthy heart to healthy skin, here’s how coenzyme Q10 could help keep you in good shape.

If you’re starting to notice a few more wrinkles, or you feel like you’re slowing down, it may not be just because you’re getting older – you could also be lacking in coenzyme Q10.

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What is co-Q10?

Coenzyme Q10, often shortened to co-Q10, is a nutrient that’s found in every cell of your body, particularly in heart muscle cells. It acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells against damage and playing a key role in their growth and maintenance. Co-Q10 is vital to our cells’ energy production too.

Levels of co-Q10 start to decline as we get older, so less co-Q10 means less energy. You can find co-Q10 in meat, fish, eggs and wholegrains, or in much higher levels in supplements.¹

So, what can co-Q10 do for you?

Support heart health

Co-Q10 is known to support cardiovascular health. This nutrient is found in abundance in heart muscle tissue and it’s thought low levels could lead to heart problems. A review of clinical studies published in the online BMJ journal Open Heart revealed patients with chronic heart failure had 33% lower co-Q10 levels compared with control patients.² Co-Q10 could also be beneficial in some cases. A meta-analysis by Tulane University, New Orleans, in 2013 concluded that taking co-Q10 supplements could improve symptoms of heart failure³, while a 2003 Australian study on 120 patients reported that when combined with other nutrients, co-Q10 could aid recovery in those who’ve had heart surgery.⁴ Talk to your GP if you think co-Q10 may be helpful for you.

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Co-Q10 and Alzheimer’s disease

Some studies indicate a link between co-Q10 and dementia. One trial by scientists in New York found that treatment with co-Q10 could reduce levels of oxidative stress⁵ – which plays a role in Alzheimer’s – on brain cells, while the University of Maryland Medical Centre says co-Q10 may improve oxygen flow to the brain.⁶ Oxygen deprivation is linked to some types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.⁷

Reduce the appearance of wrinkles

Many factors conspire to age our skin, but there is some evidence that co-Q10 could help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. In 2005, Japanese scientists discovered that co-Q10 supplements could improve levels within the skin, a prerequisite to the reduction of wrinkles⁸, while a 2015 German trial showed that using a co-Q10 cream also boosted levels of the nutrient within the skin, providing antioxidant and anti-ageing effects.⁹ Previous research from Germany in 1999 found that a co-Q10 cream blocked the action of collagenase in the skin, an enzyme that breaks down collagen, helping to keep skin looking smooth and supple.¹⁰

Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please consult a doctor or healthcare professional before trying any remedies.

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Sources

1. Mayo Clinic Staff. Coenzyme Q10 overview. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-coenzyme-q10/art-20362602

2. DiNicolantonio J, et al. BMJ Journal Open Heart. Coenzyme Q10 for the treatment of heart failure: a review of the literature. Available from: http://openheart.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000326
3. Fotino AD, Thompson-Paul A, Bazzano LA. Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on heart failure: a meta-analysis. Available from: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/97/2/268
4. Rosenfeldt F, et al. Coenzyme Q10 and therapy before cardiac surgery improves mitochondrial function and in vitro contractility of myocardial tissue. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022522304005124
5. Durmont M, et al. Coenzyme Q10 decreases amyloid pathology and improves behaviour in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21799249
6. University of Maryland Medical Center. Dementia. Available from: http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/dementia
7. Dementia.org. Causes: Oxygen deprivation. Available from: https://www.dementia.org/oxygen-deprivation-dementia
8. Ashida Y, et al. CoQ10 supplementation elevates the epidermal CoQ10 level in adult hairless mice. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16873943
9. Knott A, et al. Topical treatment with coenzyme Q10‐containing formulas improves skin’s Q10 level and provides antioxidative effects. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737275/

10. Hoppe U, et al. Coenzyme Q10, a cutaneous antioxidant and energizer. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10416055