It is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance present in every cell of the body and serves as a coenzyme for several of the key enzymatic steps in the production of energy within the cell. It also functions as an antioxidant which is important in its clinical effects. It is naturally present in small amounts in a wide variety of foods but is particularly high in organ meats such as heart, liver and kidney, as well as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel, and peanuts. To put dietary CoQ10 intake into perspective, one pound of sardines, two pounds of beef, or two and one half pounds of peanuts, provide 30 mg of CoQ10. CoQ10 is also synthesized in all tissues and in healthy individuals normal levels are maintained both by CoQ10 intake and by the body’s synthesis of CoQ10. It has no known toxicity or side effects.

This question can be asked in two ways. First, should a reasonably healthy person take CoQ10 RED to stay healthy or to become more robust? I would say according to research, Yes. Second, should a person with an illness, such as congestive heart failure take CoQ10 RED? As with any change in nutrition, diet, medication, or even activity, CoQ10 should be discussed with one’s physician. As improvement in heart function occurs, a patient should have regular medical follow up with particular attention to concomitant drug therapy. The references mentioned in the CoQ10 RED text, will provide detailed information on the clinical use of CoQ10 and can also be obtained from the web.

The dosage of CoQ10 used in clinical trials has evolved over the past 20 years. Initially, doses as small as 30 to 45 mg per day were associated with measurable clinical responses in patients with heart failure. More recent studies have used higher doses with improved clinical response, again in patients with heart failure. Most studies with CoQ10 involve the measurement of the level of CoQ10 in blood. CoQ10 shows a moderate variability in its absorption, with some patients attaining good blood levels of CoQ10 on 100 mg per day while others require two or three times this amount to attain the same blood level. CoQ10 RED available from the ANTIAGING® Institute of California, in the United States is manufactured in Japan. CoQ10 RED is 100 mg and is lipid-soluble. Its absorption is significantly improved when it is taken with a fat-containing food, like walnuts or almonds. Published data on the dosage of CoQ10 relates almost exclusively to the treatment of disease states, your physician can provide more accurate information.

The answer to this question is found in the fields of politics and marketing and not in the fields of science or medicine. The controversy surrounding CoQ10 likewise is political and economic as the previous 30 years of research on CoQ10 have been remarkably consistent and free of major controversy. Although it is not the first time that a fundamental and clinically important discovery has come about without the backing of a pharmaceutical company, it is the first such discovery to so radically alter how physicians view disease. While the pharmaceutical industry does a good job at physician and patient education on their new products, information on CoQ10 has not been publicized as effective. This education is very costly and can only be done with the reasonable expectation of patent protected profit. CoQ10 is not patentable. The discovery of CoQ10 was based primarily on support from the National Heart Institute of NIH (National Institute of Health) at the Institute for Enzyme Research, University of Wisconsin .