If your diet isn’t producing the results you’re looking for, CoQ10’s benefits for weight loss could be just what you need.
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring substance found in every cell. Its ability to neutralize and even repair free radical damage has gotten it a lot of press as an effective anti-aging supplement.
However its primary function – assisting with the production of energy at the cellular level – also makes it important to achieving and maintaining healthy body weight.
The coenzyme is found in the cellular mitochondria, where it helps with breaking down fats and other nutrients and converting them to energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The body’s immune, digestive, and other systems are powered by this energy.
CoQ10 is known to enhance metabolism, which in turn gives us more energy, greater endurance, and an improved ability to lose body fat. It also maximizes the body’s ability to convert food to fuel, which helps normalize fats and sugars in the blood.
Though the body naturally manufactures the coenzyme, the ability to produce it decreases with age. It is believed that CoQ10 production may start to drop in early adulthood, which could be one reason that losing weight is often a challenge for older people.
A study published in the International Journal of Complementary Medicine tracked 100 morbidly obese patients, all on a calorie-restricted diet. Blood levels of the coenzyme were found to be low in more than half the participants.
The participants with low levels of the coenzyme were given a 100 mg daily supplement, while the remaining participants took no nutritional supplements. After two months, the group taking the supplement had lost an average of 30 pounds, while those taking no supplements lost an average of 13 pounds.
While researchers stress that taking supplemental CoQ10 is not a guarantee of weight loss, deficiency of the coenzyme could definitely have an adverse impact on weight loss efforts.
