High Absorption CoQ10 -- My Journey

Do you folks take a CoQ10 supplement? 

If so, I hope you'll take a minute to discuss your reasons and results with me in the comments section. I've recently started taking it myself and am going to share all of what I have learned and experienced right here with y'all!

CoQ10 has been clinically shown to improve function of the heart, and Well known for increasing cellular energy, for helping combat cardiovascular disease, treating gum disease, reducing tumors and more. 

To put it briefly, our bodies do make CoQ10, but not enough of it for us to reap any real benefits like we do when we take it in a supplement form (we get a higher amount of it.) There are several reasons that led me to trying CoQ10 – one of them being that I knew that it would help me to make sure my heart stays healthy, possibly increase my sluggish energy levels and because of the overall health benefits. 

So, I researched and found that this brand (Doctor’s Best) looked to be promising -- one of the most trustworthy and affordable options out there. The brand, and the company I received it from (Solly's Health Shop)  really stuck out to me over other ones.   

More about CoQ10…

As of today, I have been taking Doctor's Best High Absorption CoQ10 for nearly a month. I am quite fond of them, so I even made sure to carry a daily dose along with me on my recent vacation to Panama City! Yes, we had a blast.

 It has quickly become a supplement that I don't want to be without, which is kind of strange considering I haven't noticed a huge increase in energy or anything. I do feel like my body must have some kind of craving for it & I must be getting something I like from it to be so serious about taking it like I have. I never take a supplement very religiously, but this. Oh. Yes! Now if only I can get my mom to start taking it for her HBP!

“Coenzyme Q10 was first identified in 1957. Its chemical structure was determined in 1958. Interest in coenzyme Q10 as a potential treatment for cancer began in 1961, when a deficiency of the enzyme was noted in the blood of cancer patients.

 Low blood levels of coenzyme Q10 have been found in some patients with myeloma (a malignant tumor that develops in the blood-cell-producing cells of the bone marrow), lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI)." Source: www.answers.com/topic/coenzyme-q10#ixzz2ghwmp0N7

 

   The brand I have been using from Solly's Health Shop, called Doctor's Best contains BioPerine (which I'll explain in a moment). The bottle contains 120, 100mg softgels.  Serving size is 1 a day. I have taken 2 a day several times.   
While I'm on the topic, Solly's Health Shop carries a large variety of reputable brands, and besides vitamins and supplements, they also offer, diet supplements, beauty/personal care items, sports and fitness, etc. 

If you use Solly's Health Shop, you can click the page near the top left that says "benefits" and from there, a list pulls down where you can choose what type of thing you're looking to benefit from. For instance, you can click "anti-aging" and they'll pull up all the options of products for that particular concern. I really love this feature!

P.S. At the moment, Solly's is also doing a free shipping on all orders over $20, which is a pretty nice deal, especially considering most other online supplements shops do not offer free shipping at all, or either you have to buy minimum $50 (a lot of times $100) just to get free shipping. 

Note: it is not suitable for vegetarians. Each softgel contains 100 mg of Coenzyme Q10 and 5 milligrams of Black Pepper extract (BioPerine.)

High Absorption CoQ10 contains pure, vegetarian co-enzyme Q10, plus BioPerine and rosemary oil in an olive oil base. 

BioPerine is an herbal extract derived from black pepper fruit.  Preliminary studies have shown that it increases absorption of CoQ10, which would explain why Doctor’s Best put it in this supplement.  The BioPerine in this supplement contains 95% Piperine. 

The label clearly explains all of this and more, which is awesome to me. It also explains why Rosemary oil is in there – to help ensure freshness and stability. Kudos to Doctor’s Best for not choosing harmful preservatives! 

 

These are very small, orange-colored softgels, which  allow for better absorption. They’re easy to swallow. Just for the fun of it because I can’t ever keep myself from poking and prodding at things, I poked one softgel open with a pin and licked the contents.

 I can say that the High Absorption CoQ10 does in fact have the Black Pepper extract in it because boy could I taste it! Nothing gross, but it was warm to my tongue. This made me think it’d be a culprit for heartburn, but surprisingly, it hasn’t. Not even for my super-heart-burn-getting partner. He has no issues and I’ve actually never heard anyone say the High Absorption CoQ10 caused them heartburn.

 I’ve also noticed no stomach discomfort or anything at all like that – if you’ll read on, you’ll learn a little about candida and CoQ10. Ya’ll know I’ve battled IBS-candida and endometriosis for years, and even I have had zero issues from taking this! Hooray!

Which led me to this:

“In a study of 5,143 patients taking 30 milligrams of coenzyme Q per day, less than 1% of all patients complained of stomach discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, or appetite problems as a result of the supplementation.” Source: whfoods.com

 

TASTE: None. No unusual taste, no odor. No burps.  

Side Effects: None.  There are no known adverse effects, except for possible (and rare) stomach upset if you dose too high.) Not even when taking more than the recommended amount do most people notice any side effects.  However, that is not to say I am endorsing or even saying you’ll be fine if you overdo it. I hate having to disclaim everything, but please understand what I am saying – that taking a bit more than the recommended dose has been done safely in the past. 

Doctor’s Best supplements usually have really awesome ingredients, and this is especially true for their High Absorption CoQ10. It contains Non-GMO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a very fabulous ingredient that increases our health in many ways, so it’s something else we could benefit from when taking daily), beeswax, soy lecithin, Rosemary Oil.

Softgel capsule:  Gelatin, glycerin, purified water, annatto (natural plant source coloring agent used as a light barrier). 

Does Not Contain: milk, egg, wheat, gluten, corn, sugar, sweeteners, starch, salt, or preservatives.

There are 2 types of CoQ10 on the market: Natural form or synthetic -- Here’s how it works for CoQ10:

the fermented version, or one that includes fermentation and  synthesis. In my opinion, the fermented version is more ideal because the alternative is using a synthetic version (the type that makes Coq10 via fermentation and synthesis together.) I’ll explain why I feel like the 100% fermentation version is more ideal…

For me using a Coq10 supplement that is made by 100% fermentation is more ideal because it’s not synthetic like the other version (the one that uses fermentation and synthesis.) Note: the synthetic versions are chemically processed using tobacco leaves.

Synthetic versions of Coq10  are  said to be more difficult to absorb, although there are really no studies to confirm whether or not synthetic versions are ineffective or  have negative effects from an impurity found in synthetic versions called CoQ9. 

How you can tell if yours is partially synthetic or not is by looking on the label and/or near the ingredients list on the label. 

1.       If you see the words “trans” or “trans-form,” then it is natural. 

   Doctor’s Best CoQ10 does not say anything relatable to “trans-form” on their label, so I assume theirs is not the fully natural form.

*I’ve read that it’s important to make sure it is manufactured in the US and not overseas. I checked and Doctor’s Best CoQ10 is manufactured in the US (San Clemente, California, to be exact.)

Note: the research that supports the benefits of CoQ10 has been conducted on natural versions. 

** Natural Coq10 is said, by some, to be better assimilated by our bodies because it’s identical to the Coq10 already present in our body. However, a 100% natural version is fermented from yeast, which can exacerbate problems in someone who has candidiasis. I had other people who also have battled IBS and candida tell me that using 100% natural CoQ10 caused their problem to exacerbate. I’ve also read that it’s safe if you’re sure the candida in your system has completely been eliminated. 

So, some who are battling (or have, like me ) candida may opt for a synthetic version of CoQ10 since it isn’t fermented using yeast since supplements  that contain yeast can be problematic for someone with IBS, candida or a sensitive digestive system.

Another interesting thing to note is that those with candidiasis or other yeast-type infections  -- their natural CoQ10 in their bodies is consumed by the yeast! Therefore, our bodies don’t get any of the necessary CoQ10, which makes it tough because we can either choose a synthetic CoQ10 to help and to try and not further exacerbate the issue or we can use a 100% natural CoQ10 and exacerbate the issue. What a disappointment! So really, I suppose the important thing is ridding ourselves of the candida. Period. Then we’ll benefit more from the CoQ10 supplement we choose to take.

What it Does:

·       Provides us with cellular energy, which is why it’s used in the battle against 

   chronic fatigue.

·        

            Energizes heart, causes it to pump stronger.

·        Improves brain power giving us mental “sharpness,” clearer thinking.

·      

    Fights free radicals.

·       Treats high cholesterol

·          ATP and CoQ10 go hand in hand. Without CoQ10, your body can’t make ATP, which is important for plenty of reasons, and one of the many reasons I wanted to finally get myself started taking CoQ10. Due to CoQ10 helping your body create ATP, this could explain why some people feel an increase in energy levels when they take CoQ10.

·       Helps the immune system function properly

·     

  Speeding joint healing and muscle recovery

Helpful for:

Neurodegenerative disease (such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. A closer look at the possibilities of CoQ10 as an improvement for these diseases is “underway.”

ALS

Libido -- A couple of people have said that this brand of CoQ10 has 

increased their libido.

Stamina – some people say it enhances their stamina. I can’t say for sure I’ve noticed any of these increases in energy, stamina or libido. I however have had a change in that last area, but can’t say what from. It is very possible that this CoQ10 has upped my drive some, though. 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (some sufferers use a dosage of 300 milligrams to battle CFS!) 

Hypertension

Speeding joint healing and muscle recovery

Can also relieve muscle pain and weakness

Angina

Migraines (I have been hoping to see benefits in this area as I have them.) Cephalagia 22(2):137-141, 2002 states that a dosage of 150 milligrams can help for migraines. I’ve taken my usual 100 mg dose for almost a month now, occasionally doing 2 doses of it a day (separately) with no super-noticeable changes so far.

Cardiovascular disease (some cases of it have been treated using CoQ10)

Used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS with noticeable effects.

Used in the treatment of periodontal disease and has shown beneficial effects.

May prevent muscular dystrophy

Breast cancer (some breast cancer patients use 90-390 milligrams to help fight the cancer.)

Symptoms of CoQ10 Deficiency

Just like with any important vitamin or nutrient, etc., CoQ10 deficiency is real, and it comes with symptoms. I looked into those, and some of the possible symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency include:

Multiple heart problems: Angina, atherosclerosis, High blood pressure, congestive heart failure, Mitral valve prolapse, heart attack, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease. 

Oral problems (mostly those of the gums) are also a sign of a CoQ10 deficiency! Gingivitis, stomach ulcers are symptoms as well, but it’s important to keep in mind that these things can be caused from a variety of things. Reality is, most of us can benefit from a CoQ10 supplement regardless of age, heart conditions or health problems. 

I have even read where doctors (not that I am saying to fully put your trust in anyone, doctor or not) recommend that every person take CoQ10 supplement daily. In fact, one of my close friends recently got in touch with me simply to tell me that she wants me to consider taking CoQ10! I said “I do. I do!” Then we had a long, lovely conversation about it, as usual.

Doctor’s Best Manufacturing Standards:

“Doctor's Best formulations are manufactured in HACCP, ISO-9001 and cGMP Certified state-of-the-art facilities to deliver unsurpassed purity and quality. Each Doctor's Best manufacturer goes through rigorous qualification measures to ensure the facility is not only cGMP Certified, but also lives up to the expectations we hold above and beyond FDA regulations for dietary supplements. Beyond ensuring our manufacturers facilities fully comply with GMP regulations, we also ensure each batch of our product is prepared according to GMP procedures. We demand our manufacturers provide documentation to prove compliance.”