CoQ10 Benefits for Heart Health Support

CoQ10 (or, more formally, "Coenzyme Q-10") is a hot new buzzword for heart health support. But what is CoQ10 good for? And what does CoQ10 do for your heart? It's a topic that deserves a good explanation, so read on to explore the CoQ10 benefits for heart health support and why it is found in organs with the highest energy needs!^†

What is CoQ10?

The first question we'll tackle is, "What is CoQ10?" It's a supplement known by many names: CoQ10, Coenzyme Q10 and Ubiquinone. Thankfully, you'll only need to remember the first one! CoQ10 is an organic compound made in your body and most highly concentrated in organs that require high rates of metabolic activity, like the kidney, liver, and heart. Why do these organs need so much CoQ10? Because CoQ10 is vital in the biochemical reactions that create ATP, or Adenosine Triphosphate.[1]

ATP is how our body stores cellular energy, so we need it to do pretty much anything![2] That's why CoQ10 can be found in every cell in the body; every cell needs to be able to store energy. For this reason, CoQ10 levels are more highly concentrated in organs that use a lot of energy. High-energy organs require a lot of ATP in order to do their thing, so they use more Coenzyme Q10 to help produce it. Pretty simple, right? Of course, our heart is one of the organs with the highest energy needs, so ensuring you have an adequate supply of CoQ10 can help support cardiovascular health.^†

What Does CoQ10 Do for Your Heart?

So we know what CoQ10 is, and a bit about what it does, so what does CoQ10 do for your heart? CoQ10 is an essential component in producing ATP, which is cellular energy necessary for the heart's normal function. Nature Made^® CoQ10 Softgels support heart function by helping replenish this important nutrient.♦^†

Our body produces CoQ10 internally, but as we age, the levels of CoQ10 in our body decrease. We can get an idea of how the production of CoQ10 in our body changes as we age by testing the blood levels of CoQ10. Our highest levels of CoQ10 production occur around age 25; from then on, our body begins to produce less. In heart tissue, CoQ10 production is halved by age 65.[3] If you want to ensure your body is getting enough CoQ10 in addition to the amount it produces internally, Coenzyme Q10 supplementation can help!

3 Benefits of CoQ10 Supplementation for Heart Health

Supporting Heart Function:

Looking for how to support heart health? One way is through CoQ10! The heart needs a lot of cellular energy in the form of ATP because it is one of the highest energy organs in the body. Helpfully, there’s a number of CoQ10 benefits for heart health support. CoQ10 helps to support ATP production in the heart in a few ways; for one, it mediates electron transfer in the electron transport chain within the mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses of each cell.[4]^†

Why should I supplement with CoQ10?:

CoQ10 supplementation may be important for people taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, which can inhibit CoQ10 production in the body. Nature Made® CoQ10 can help replenish this important nutrient. However, it's important to note that CoQ10 is not intended to serve as a replacement for statin drug therapy.^†

Antioxidant Support:

CoQ10 isn't just good for heart health support; it also provides antioxidant support. CoQ10  protects cells from oxidative damage.[5]^†

Where to Start When Supplementing with CoQ10

Recommended Dosages for Heart Health:

Although there are no official recommendations for CoQ10, physicians recommend CoQ10 supplementation from 30 to 200 mg per day.[6] However, individual needs may vary depending on your specific situation. When starting or modifying a supplement routine, it's always essential to consult with your primary care provider or another healthcare provider to get personalized advice and to help tune your routine to your specific needs.

Selecting High-Quality CoQ10 Supplements: 

When looking for high-quality CoQ10 supplements, check out our CoQ10 Collection! Nature Made^® CoQ10 supplements are guaranteed to meet our high-quality standards. They are made from carefully selected ingredients under strict manufacturing processes. Nature Made^® is the #1 Pharmacist-Recommended Coenzyme Q10 Supplement Brand* and our CoQ10 supplements are United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Verified. CoQ10 supplements can come in a few different sources, like Ubidecarenone and Ubiquinol; for more information on those sources and which you might want to try, check out our blog on Understanding CoQ10. Nature Made^® also offers several other heart-healthy additions to your routine, like fish oil supplements with Omega-3 Fatty Acids DHA & EPA.^†

Integrating CoQ10 into Your Daily Routine

The good thing about CoQ10 is that you already have some: our body produces CoQ10! Supplementing your body's CoQ10 production can help support cellular energy production in organs such as the heart with high energy needs. CoQ10 is also found in very small amounts in beef, poultry, fish, and soybean and canola oils. Team Nature Made^® recommends that adults take their CoQ10 supplements daily with water and a meal to help absorption. For more information, check out the "Best Time To Take CoQ10 Supplements."^†

♦ CoQ10 is not intended to serve as a replacement for statin drug therapy. Certain statin drugs can reduce CoQ10 levels in the body. Nature Made CoQ10 can help replenish this important nutrient.^†

*Based on U.S. News & World Report – Pharmacy Times Survey of pharmacists recommending this category.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Saini R. Coenzyme Q10: The essential nutrient. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2011;3(3):466-467. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.84471
2. Mantle D, Heaton RA, Hargreaves IP. Coenzyme Q10, Ageing and the Nervous System: An Overview. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;11(1):2. Published 2021 Dec 21. doi:10.3390/antiox11010002
3. Dunn J, Grider MH. Physiology, Adenosine Triphosphate. [Updated 2023 Feb 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553175/
4. Raizner AE. Coenzyme Q10. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2019;15(3):185-191. doi:10.14797/mdcj-15-3-185
5. Ernster L, Dallner G. Biochemical, physiological and medical aspects of ubiquinone function. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1995;1271(1):195-204. doi:10.1016/0925-4439(95)00028-3
6. Coenzyme Q10 Information | Mount Sinai - New York. Mount Sinai Health System. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/coenzyme-q10