Low coq10 blood levels can be caused by many things. This article looks at what can cause the deficiency and what can be done to correct it.
Since, this antioxidant is present in practically every cell of the human body, lower than normal levels can cause dozens of different symptoms. Similarly, it has been investigated by scientists as a treatment for dozens of different diseases.
Fatigue, muscle weakness, pain in the muscles, muscle spasms and cramping are some of the earliest symptoms.
Cardiovascular disease, seizures, kidney failure, muscle wasting, abnormal walk and central nervous system dysfunction.
In infants and children, deficiency can cause or lead to scoliosis, mental retardation, retarded growth and deafness. Obviously, this is a nutrient essential to the human body.
In normal healthy individuals, the body makes its own coenzyme Q10. So, it does not fit the definition of an “essential” dietary nutrient, which is one that must be acquired through food, because the body cannot produce it.
However, the body uses other nutrients to make coenzyme Q10. Some of those must be present in the diet.
Others can be created within the body. The process of biosynthesis is complicated. If there is a break in the pathway through which it is created, anywhere along the line, low coq10 blood levels will be the result.
A person under the age of 20 that is not suffering from a chronic disease and eats a healthy diet need not worry about coenzyme Q10 production. When we pass the age of 20, we must assume that production decreases, because the amount present in the organs and the bloodstream starts to decrease.
So, after the age of 20, it would stand to reason that a dietary source of the antioxidant would be beneficial. The problem is that the typical human diet does not include any significant sources of the nutrient.
One of the few foods known to contain a significant amount is the red tissue of the mackerel. Small amounts may be present in other fish. But, there is no way to get the 20mg per day that experts recommend for adult supplementation, from food.
It would require eating hundreds of grams of mackerel per day. Judging by the poor bioavailability of the nutrient, you would become very fat and still probably have low coq10 levels, if you tried to get the nutrient through food. Dietary supplements are the logical choice.
However, the supplements must be properly formulated and protected by an enteric coating.
Otherwise, the nutrient will not be absorbed into the bloodstream. It is one of many nutrients that are not well absorbed. That’s what is meant by poor bioavailability.
Other than aging, the major cause of very low coq10 blood levels, today, is the use of statin drugs. Statins are prescribed to help reduce cholesterol levels. But, in doing so, they interfere with the pathway through which the body creates coenzyme Q10.
There are other reasons to consider supplementation. But, if you happen to be taking a statin drug, you need to take a supplement. Just be sure to pick a good one. Low coq10 daily dosages are adequate when the supplement is well designed.
