Monday, August 4, 2014

Coenzyme Q10's Role In The Prevention Of AIDS

Coenzyme Q10's Role In The Prevention Of AIDS
What does congestive heart failure, gum disease and obesity
have in common? Very often, a deficiency of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). A
lack of CoQ10 has also been implicated in arrhythmias, strokes,
hypertension, heart attacks, atherosclerosis, muscular dystrophy and
AIDS and many of these diseases can be prevented and treated
successfully with CoQ10. Since its discovery and isolation 40 years ago
hundreds of clinical research studies have been done on CoQ10 and it is
now abundantly clear that this nutrient is absolutely vital to health.



Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone/ubiquinol) is a fat-soluble quinone with a structure similar
to that of vitamin K. It is a powerful antioxidant both on its own and in combination with
vitamin E and is vital in powering the body's energy production (ATP) cycle. CoQ10 is
found throughout the body in cell membranes, especially in the mitochondrial membranes and
is particularly abundant in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas and adrenal
glands. The total body content of CoQ10 is only about 500-1500 mg and decreases with age.



CoQ10 was first isolated from beef heart mitochondria by Dr.
Frederick Crane of Wisconsin, U.S.A., in 1957. The same year, Professor
Morton of England defined a compound obtained from vitamin A deficient
rat liver to be the same as CoQ10. Professor Morton introduced the name
ubiquinone, meaning the ubiquitous quinone. In 1958, Professor Karl
Folkers and coworkers at Merck, Inc., determined the precise chemical
structure of CoQ10: 2,3 dimethoxy-5 methyl-6 decaprenyl benzoquinone,
synthesized it, and were the first to produce it by fermentation. In
the mid-1960's, Professor Yamamura of Japan became the first in the
world to use coenzyme Q7 (a related compound) in the treatment of human
disease: congestive heart failure. In 1966, Mellors and Tappel showed
that reduced CoQ6 was an effective antioxidant. In 1972 Gian Paolo
Littarru of Italy along with Professor Karl Folkers documented a
deficiency of CoQ10 in human heart disease. By the mid-1970's, the
Japanese perfected the industrial technology to produce pure CoQ10 in
quantities sufficient for larger clinical trials. Peter Mitchell
received the Nobel Prize in 1978 for his contribution to the
understanding of biological energy transfer through the formulation of
the chemiosmotic theory, which includes the vital protonmotive role of
CoQ10 in energy transfer systems.



Coenzyme Q10 has received particular attention in the prevention and treatment of
various forms of cardiovascular disease. It is highly effective in preventing the
oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) which leads to atherosclerosis.
Several studies have shown that patients with congestive heart failure and other
cardiovascular diseases have significantly lower levels of CoQ10 in their heart tissue
than do healthy people and supplementation with as little as 100 mg/day has been shown to
markedly improve their condition. CoQ10 is now approved in Japan for the treatment of
congestive heart failure.



Nutritional factors play an important role in the development and
treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, health care
professionals may overlook, or even disregard, some of these factors
for several reasons, including inadequate training and conflicting
reports in the biomedical literature. This review provides a synopsis
of more than two-dozen nutritional approaches to primary and secondary
prevention and therapy of CVD. Favorable cardiovascular effects have
been reported with the use of unsaturated fatty acids, vegetarian and
semi-vegetarian diets, dietary fiber, plant sterols, alcoholic
beverages, vitamins (niacin, E, C, B6, B12, folate), minerals
(potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium), conditionally-essential
nutrients (coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, taurine) and botanical agents
(garlic, hawthorn, gugulipid). In contrast, trans-fatty acids,
oxysterols, homocysteinemia, carbohydrate intolerance, and excessive
sodium chloride and iron have been associated with undesirable
cardiovascular effects. A nutritional approach to CVD provides a
pivotal adjuvant to traditional pharmaceutical and/or surgical
interventions by maximizing the likelihood of success in decreasing CVD
morbidity and mortality and minimizing the economic and social costs
associated with this disease.



Possible undesirable consequences of long term nutritional supplementation with vitamin
E and of adverse drug-nutrient interactions between the statins and CoQ10 are also
considered. Although additional intervention studies are needed, current scientific
evidence generally supports nutritional supplementation with these nutrients as an
effective adjunctive strategy for CVD control.



Coenzyme Q10 is a redox component in the respiratory chain. CoQ10 is necessary for
human life to exist; and a deficiency can be contributory to ill health and disease. A
deficiency of CoQ10 in myocardial disease has been found and controlled therapeutic trials
have established CoQ10 as a major advance in the therapy of resistant myocardial failure.
The cardiotoxicity of adriamycin, used in treatment modalities of cancer, is significantly
reduced by CoQ10, apparently because the side-effects of adriamycin include inhibition of
mitochondrial CoQ10 enzymes. Models of the immune system including phagocytic rate,
circulating antibody level, neoplasia, viral and parasitic infections were used to
demonstrate that CoQ10 is an immunomodulating agent. It was concluded that CoQ10, at the
mitochondrial level, is essential for the optimal function of the immune system.



Heart attacks and strokes produce a burst of free radicals (ischemia- reperfusion)
which can result in extensive tissue damage. Patients with high CoQ10 levels suffer less
damage from these events and Japanese researchers have found that CoQ10 supplementation
prior to and immediately following open heart surgery is highly beneficial in preventing
reperfusion injury - a common complication in heart surgery. Supplementation with CoQ10
has also been found beneficial in patients with chronic stable angina, mitral valve
prolapse and irregular heart beat (arrhythmias).



Several studies also indicate that CoQ10 may be beneficial in the treatment of
hypertension (high blood pressure). A study of 109 patients with long-standing, essential
hypertension, who were on antihypertensive drugs, concluded that supplementation with an
average of 225 mg/day of CoQ10 improved functional status, allowed about half the patients
to discontinue most of their blood pressure medications and resulted in an average
decrease of systolic blood pressure from 159 to 147 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure
decrease from 94 to 85 mm Hg. Smaller, more recent Japanese studies have confirmed these findings.



Reports from several research groups--including two small double-blind clinical
studies--indicate that supplemental coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) is moderately effective as a
treatment for hypertension, in humans and in animals. Its efficacy is associated with a
decrease in total peripheral resistance, and appears to reflect a direct impact of CoQ on
the vascular wall. A reasonable interpretation of these findings is that CoQ is acting as
an antagonist of vascular superoxide--either scavenging it, or suppressing its synthesis.
By improving the efficiency of shuttle mechanisms that transfer high-energy electrons from
the cytoplasm to the mitochondrial respiratory chain, CoQ may decrease cytoplasmic NADH
levels and thereby diminish the reductive power that drives superoxide synthesis in
endothelium and vascular smooth muscle. If CoQ therapy does indeed lower vascular
superoxide levels, it can be expected to decrease the atherothrombotic risk associated
with hypertension, and may have broader utility in the management of disorders characterized by endotheliopathy.



Coenzyme Q10 is a great boost to heart health, but it has many other beneficial
effects. Strenuous physical exercise reduces blood levels of CoQ10 and supplementation
with 60 mg/day has been found to improve athletic performance. Administration of CoQ10
alone or in combination with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) boosts the immune system and may be
useful in the treatment of AIDS and other infectious diseases. An adequate level of CoQ10
in the body is essential to proper muscle functioning and several studies have indeed
shown that supplementation with 100-150 mg/day of CoQ10 markedly improves the condition of
people suffering from muscular dystrophy.



Many overweight people have very low levels of CoQ10 and
supplementation may enable them to lose weight due to the effect of
CoQ10 in speeding up the metabolism of fats.



CoQ10 has been used with success in combatting periodontal diseases,
especially gingivitis (gum disease). Tissue affected by gingivitis is
deficient in CoQ10 and experiments have shown that supplementation with
as little as 50 mg/day can decrease inflammation. More recent research
has shown that topical application of CoQ10 dissolved in soya oil (85
mg/ml) to affected areas (periodontal pockets) reduces bleeding and the
depth of the pocket.



Research carried out in Denmark has provided some tantalizing evidence that CoQ10 may
also be effective in the fight against certain cancers. A trial involving the treatment of
32 breast cancer patients with megadoses of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and
coenzyme Q10 (90 mg/day) in addition to conventional therapy showed a highly beneficial
effect of the supplementation. Two of the patients in the trial whose tumours had not
regressed had their CoQ10 dosages increased to 390 mg/day and 300 mg/day respectively with
the result that their tumours disappeared completely within three months. CoQ10
supplementation is also very important for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with
heart toxic drugs such as adriamycin and athralines. Recent research has also shown that
certain cholesterol-lowering drugs (lovastatin, etc.) block the natural synthesis of CoQ10
so supplementation with 100 mg/day is recommended for patients taking these drugs.



Despite considerable worldwide efforts, no single etiology has been
identified to explain the development of chronic fatigue syndrome
(CFS). It is likely that multiple factors promote its development,
sometimes with the same factors both causing and being caused by the
syndrome. A detailed review of the literature suggests a number of
marginal nutritional deficiencies may have etiologic relevance. These
include deficiencies of various B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium,
sodium, zinc, L-tryptophan, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and essential
fatty acids. Any of these nutrients could be marginally deficient in
CFS patients, a finding that appears to be primarily due to the illness
process rather than to inadequate diets. It is likely that marginal
deficiencies not only contribute to the clinical manifestations of the
syndrome, but also are detrimental to the healing processes. Therefore,
when feasible, objective testing should identify them and their
resolution should be assured by repeat testing following initiation of
treatment. Moreover, because of the rarity of serious adverse
reactions, the difficulty in ruling out marginal deficiencies, and
because some of the therapeutic benefits of nutritional supplements
appear to be due to pharmacologic effects, it seems rational to
consider supplementing CFS patients with the nutrients discussed above,
along with a general high-potency vitamin/mineral supplement, at least
for a trial period.



The body can synthesize coenzyme Q10 and it is also found in several
dietary sources, notably organ meats. The level of CoQ10 in human
organs peaks around the age of 20 years and then declines fairly
rapidly. The decrease in CoQ10 concentration in the heart is
particularly significant with a 77-year-old person having 57 per cent
less CoQ10 in the heart muscle than a 20-year-old. Some experts
involved in CoQ10 research believe that many people, especially older
people and people engaging in vigorous exercise may be deficient in
CoQ10 and may benefit from supplementation. The recommended daily
dosage for health maintenance is 30 mg; however, considerably higher
amounts are required in the treatment of the various diseases for which
supplementation has been found beneficial. CoQ10 should be taken with a
meal containing some fat or even better, in combination with soya or
vegetable oil which enhances its absorption quite substantially. CoQ10
supplements are readily absorbed by the body and no toxic effects have
been reported for daily dosages as high as 300 mg. The safety of CoQ10,
however, has not been established in pregnancy and lactation, so
caution is advised here until more data becomes available.





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