Experts vary in their recommendations for optimum CoQ10 dosage, with some claiming high amounts are needed to achieve maximum results while others say that smaller amounts are the best and safest route.
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring substance that is found in every cell and is essential to the biochemical process of energy production.
It is also a powerful antioxidant, capable of preventing and even reversing the negative effects of free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules that scavenge the cells with which they interact. Free radical damage has been implicated in many serious diseases and conditions, including most age-related problems.
Though the body naturally creates the coenzyme, production reaches its peak when people are in their twenties and decreases as we age.
A growing body of research has proven that in many cases CoQ10 supplements can have a huge positive impact, but questions remain about the amount of supplementation needed to achieve maximum CoQ10 benefits.
No standard RDA has been set, but while a “typical” dosage is generally considered to be somewhere between 30 and 90 mg daily, clinical trials have shown the best response with much higher amounts.
For example, clinical trials with Parkinson’s disease patients showed that a daily dosage of 360 mg provided the significant improvement in many symptoms.
However, the results of a more extensive 16-month trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that much higher amounts were very beneficial.
The studies experimented with a range of dosages from 300 to 1200 mgs daily in the treatment of early stage Parkinsons’s disease. The best results were exhibited by the patients who took the largest dose of the supplement
However medical experts warn that many factors come into play when making the decision on the amount of supplementation. There can be broad variations in the degree of absorption, depending on factors that range from the makeup of the supplement itself to what kind of food the person has eaten that day.
So far the best advice is to consult with a health care provider before starting any kind of supplementation, and not to exceed the manufacturer’s recommended the dosage unless your doctor advises you to do so.
