CoQ10‘s benefits as both an energy producer and an antioxidant could make it a dual powerhouse in the fight against Alzheimer’s, one of the most common and most devastating of all age-related illnesses.
More than 4 million people in the US have Alzheimer’s disease, a deadly and progressive brain disorder that impairs memory, cognitive function, and physical ability. Though symptoms differ, Alzheimer’s is characterized by a degree of dementia, which is defined as intellectual impairment significant enough to have an adverse impact on daily activities and social interactions. In fact, Alzheimer’s is the number one cause of dementia in people over 60.
In the past 25 years, the number of people with Alzheimer’s has doubled and the incidence of the disease is expected to increase rapidly over the coming years as the baby boom generation ages.
Though research is discovering more clues to the puzzle of Alzheimer’s, it remains frustratingly mysterious. No cause has been identified, and though there are some drugs that are thought to slow its progression, as yet there is no cure. More and more is being learned about the mechanism of the disease, however, and new discoveries are supporting the idea that CoQ10 could play a role in both prevention and treatment.
Numerous studies have shown that low CoQ10 levels are definitely associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Correcting this deficiency is believed to delay both the onset and the progression of the disease, and perhaps even contribute to repair of damaged brain cells.
Two key abnormalities are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease: a buildup of beta-amyloid protein that forms plaque between brain cells, and neurofibrillary tangles, which are twisted bundles of abnormally-shaped protein fibers in neurons. Both plaque and neurofibrillary tangles damage the brain cells and can eventually lead to cell death.
Though it is believed there may be a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s, evidence definitely links the formation of both plaque and neurofibrillary tangles to a cycle of inflammation and resulting oxidative stress. This oxidative stress typically creates a flood of free radicals, which are chemically imbalanced molecules that scavenge and damage the cells around them.
CoQ10 works by attacking the disease on two fronts, both as an energy producer that fortifies the cell’s resistance and as an antioxidant that can stop the cellular damage before it starts. As a crucial part of the energy-production process, it boosts immune system function and prevents or lessens the damaging inflammation cycle. As a potent antioxidant, it is capable of neutralizing free radicals and perhaps even repairing the free radical damage.
Numerous animal studies have reported that the coenzyme effectively counteracted deficiencies in the cellular mitochondria, which is the part of the cell that produces energy. It has also been shown to destabilize the beta-amyloid protein that builds up to form intracellular plaque.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins concluded that the coenzyme CoQ10 definitely improved memory and cognitive function in animals with Alzheimer’s-like brain conditions, both by inhibiting oxidative stress and increasing the cells’ ability to produce energy.
