CoQ10 might be a mouthful to say, but it’s a compound your body already knows well. Found in virtually every cell, the antioxidant helps cells produce energy and protects the body from cell damage. While CoQ10 has become a hot – and widely used – substance in the supplement world, for most people it isn’t necessary.
Here’s who CoQ10 is recommended for and when you might start considering it.
What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 refers to Coenzyme Q10, a naturally-occurring substance found in all tissues of the body, but mostly energy-intensive organs, including the heart, kidney, liver and muscles, said Dr. Albert Raizner, a cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital.
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CoQ10 is available as a nutritional supplement, Raizner said, but CoQ10 is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any specific clinical indication despite its widespread use.
"Since it is manufactured by the cells in the body, external supplementation is usually not needed," said Raizner. "However, some drugs, such as statins, tend to deplete CoQ10 from the cells, and lower levels are found in some patients with heart failure."
In clinical practice, it is often recommended to patients on statins and who experience muscle aches, cramps and/or muscle weakness stemming from SAMS — statin-associated myopathy syndrome, said Raizner.
Why isn’t CoQ10 FDA-approved?
Instead of being classified as a medicinal drug, CoQ10 is legally classified and regulated as a dietary supplement.
While the FDA doesn’t discourage the use of CoQ10, it strictly prohibits supplement manufacturers from saying their products can treat, cure or prevent specific diseases.
Although one clinical study found supplemental CoQ10 to be beneficial for patients with milder forms of congestive heart failure, treatment with CoQ10 has not been widely accepted by heart failure experts.
Rainer added that attempts to treat other diseases with CoQ10, like migraine, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes produced inconclusive and mixed results.
Overall, while CoQ10 does have some side effects, the supplement is safe to take.
"Although CoQ10 is present naturally in the human body and therefore should be well tolerated, infrequent and generally mild side effects have been reported and include decreased appetite, sleep disorders, GI symptoms, headaches, dizziness, itching and elevated liver function tests," said Raizner.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is CoQ10 recommended for?
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