Coq10 is found in most body tissues, with the highest amounts being in the heart. This makes sense considering the heart is the most energetic part of our bodies beating beating 115,000 times per day. The amount of Coq10 found in body tissues reduces after the age of twenty. Our ability to synthesize Coq10 falls strikingly after age fifty. This is a problem considering Coq10 is helpful in reducing inflammation and has been successfully used in the treatment of heart disease. 9, 10, 11
Some of the most common drugs used to treat heart disease are statins. Drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor are used to treat people with supposed high levels of cholesterol which has been hypothesized (Lipid Hypothesis) to cause heart disease. Formally referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, these drugs (Statins) work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Inhibiting this enzyme does reduce cholesterol levels but also reduces the production of CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q 10). CoQ10 is a vital component to all cells in our body and is a very powerful antioxidant (50 times stronger than vitamin E).
A decreased ability to synthesize Coq10 with age compounded with a decreased ability to synthesize CoQ10 with statins is a recipe for disaster. Depletion of this essential enzyme can lead to fatigue, muscle soreness, muscle weakness and heart failure, which happens to be the most common complaints of statin users.
Posted in: Anti-Aging, Bodybuilding, Cholesterol, General training, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Power lifting, Supplements, Weight training
Tags: Antioxidants, Cholesterol Levels, CoQ10, energy booster, Good Cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, Lipid hypothesis, reducing inflammation, Statin side affects, Statins, Supplements
Well, sir, you say that heart disease was not even heard of when people were consuming lard, butter, and saturated fats–not to mention MANY eggs and I suppose you left out organ meats (liver, heart, etc.). You did not however, say what their longevity was. Did people live to be as old as they do now? Also, did the medical establishment have the available knowledge that they do now about the subject? If they didn’t then they wouldn’t know if the people were affected by the lard, fats, eggs etc.
Yes, statins do inhibit CoQ10 but if the doctor is even half way knowledgeable he/she will tell you to take CoQ10 daily. Life Extension in Ft. Lauderdale has come out now with a new one that has substantially increased the absorption level. My point is, the medical establishment and the ‘regular’ layman are not static in their knowledge. They are learning daily. Do we know everything — no. Should we just go back to a time when knowledge was limited and say nothing ever happened back then. I would say no. Personally, I will keep trying as long as I have breath to do so.