CoQ10: The Best Antioxidant
The short of it is this. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals. Free radicals are the bad guys. They are destructive chemicals which attack the systems of our bodies making them less able to function properly. They are formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. The result is a group of atoms with unpaired electrons. These 'imbalanced' atoms are unstable and attach themselves to other atoms in an attempt to 'steal' the much needed electron. In the process the donor atom becomes a free radical. Thus a chain reaction occurs. Antioxidants work to break this destructive chain reaction thereby protecting our cells from being attacked and weakened. This is why it is important to get the best antioxidant available.There are certain antioxidants with which we are all familiar. We know about vitamin-E and vitamin-C. Unfortunately knowing about them is not the same thing as getting adequate supplies of them. CoQ10 is a very strong antioxidant. In fact, for heart health, it may be the best antioxidant there is. But it is probably not as familiar to many of us as other antioxidants. To learn more about CoQ10 you can return to the CoQ10 Main Page and follow the discussion there. 
The antioxidant properties of CoQ10 have been shown to greatly reduce oxidative damage occurring in our bodies. Because of this CoQ10 research has focused on many areas of chronic disease.
Concerning heart health, one very important area of application is LDL oxidation. We all know that it is important to keep LDL cholesterol levels low. But ample research has shown that… It is actually the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that promotes atherosclerosis and therefore coronary heart disease.It is perhaps in relation to LDL oxidation that CoQ10 can most clearly be seen as the best antioxidant. Here’s why… Studies have shown that CoQ10 is a stronger antioxidant than vitamin-E for preventing LDL oxidation. But the research says more. Vitamin-E, when it becomes exhausted as an antioxidant, can become a pro-oxidant. It can actually promote the oxidation of LDL. CoQ10 can regenerate vitamin-E and restore its antioxidant properties.To learn about The Best Antioxidant and the prevention of atherosclerosis click here. CoQ10 And Aging
Heart health, and many other areas of health, decline with age. As we get older our systems do not work as well. Many attribute this decline in health, at least in part, to the accumulation of oxidative damage. In other words, the damage to our cells caused by oxidation and free radicals accumulates with age. It is a deadly cycle.
The protective qualities of antioxidants, and especially the best antioxidant, have implications in the slowing of aging and age related degenerative diseases. No one will claim that antioxidants are a fountain of youth. However, it is clear that the oxidative damage caused by free radicals adds up over time. It is also clear that strong antioxidants like CoQ10 break the free radical chain thereby protecting our systems from damage. Consider this… According to the free radical and mitochondrial theories of aging, oxidative damage of cell structures by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the functional declines that accompany aging. ROS are generated by mitochondria as a byproduct of ATP production. If not neutralized by antioxidants, ROS may damage mitochondria over time, causing them to function less efficiently and to generate more damaging ROS in a self-perpetuating cycle. Coenzyme Q10 plays an important role in mitochondrial ATP synthesis and functions as an antioxidant in mitochondrial membranes. Moreover, tissue levels of coenzyme Q10 have been reported to decline with age.To read more from this article please click here. Our modern culture spends a lot of time and resources trying to look and feel young. We spend a whole lot less making sure oxidative damage does not make us age in a more significant way. Unfortunately the smaller issues like getting an adequate supply of CoQ10 somehow get left out. CoQ10 In The Mitochondria
In the section on
CoQ10 as an Energy Source
we talk about the essential work of CoQ10 in the production of ATP. ATP is a high-energy phosphate which exists in all our cells. It is the primary energy source for many metabolic processes. The production of ATP occurs in the mitochondria of our cells. Without an adequate supply of CoQ10, ATP production diminishes. Without enough ATP our major organs can not function well.
In addition to its central role in cellular energy production, CoQ10 may do some of its best antioxidant work in the mitochondria. CoQ10 undergoes a transformation in our bodies. It is reduced to CoQH2. It is in this form that it is an effective fat-soluble antioxidant. When CoQH2 comes in contact with free radicals it becomes oxidized instead of cells and LDL cholesterol. Certain enzymes present in our cell membranes can reduce this oxidized form back into CoQH2. And the battle continues. When LDL is oxidized by free radicals, membrane proteins and DNA can be damaged as well. CoQH2 not only reduces LDL oxidation but also prevents the damage done to our cell membranes. That is good news. The presence of CoQH2 (reduced form of CoQ10) in our cells provides a double antioxidant benefit. It…
Be careful when selecting a CoQ10 supplement. Some companies manufacture supplements with little or no CoQ10 in them. If you want to know more about the science of supplements and what questions you should be asking when selecting a supplement company please use the link below. 
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