Coenzyme Q10 (“CoQ10”) is one of several related substances called “ubiquinones” that are found in the cells of all aerobic organisms — plants, animals and many kinds of bacteria. Ubiquinones are necessary for life because they are required in the extraction of energy from food to make ATP — the body’s principal energy-storage molecule. Ubiquinones are also important anti-oxidants that neutralize destructive oxygen “radicals” generated during ATP production.
Although your body’s cells manufacture sufficient CoQ10 to keep you alive, they do not necessarily produce the optimal amount. Various medical conditions depress CoQ10 production, leaving your tissues without sufficient energy, without adequate protection against reactive oxygen radicals, and with inadequate resources to overcome the medical conditions themselves. Such medical conditions include cancer, cardiovascular disease, various neurological conditions, migraine, fibromyalgia, and other ailments.
Medical research has turned up evidence that CoQ10 supplementation can counteract some of the effects of such CoQ10 deficiencies, whether they be caused by genetic flaws or acquired medical conditions.
CoQ10 has no known toxicity even at ridiculously high dosages. Reasonable doses (up to around 1200 mg) are dirt-cheap compared to pharmaceuticals, and are certainly worth checking out, whether you are combatting a serious illness or just looking for a possible way to elevate your mood or physical endurance.