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Because more than 40% of all deaths in the U.S. are from cardiovascular disease, one of the most important things people can do to improve their overall health and life expectancy is to improve their heart health. With diet, exercise, and the use of a few dietary supplements, you can improve your heart health drastically. One of the main dietary supplements which are extremely beneficial to heart health is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10, which is ubiquitous and exists everywhere there is life, is vital to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. Even though CoQ10 is produced by the body and exists in some dietary sources, the levels may, at times, be insufficient to meet the body's requirements. These levels may diminish with age and also has a result of dietary inadequacies or various disease states. Some prescription drugs such as Pravachol, Zocor, and Lipitor, also significantly reduce CoQ10 levels in the body.

CoQ10 is very beneficial in treating and preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, angina, and congestive heart failure (CHF). It is also beneficial for diabetes, immune dysfunction, cancer, periodontal disease, prostate cancer, and neurological disease. CoQ10 is especially important in heart health because it is essential to the heart's optimum performance. Because the heart requires large amounts of energy, heart cells have a greater number of mitochondria, and henceforth, more CoQ10 than any other type of cell. Since heart disease patients are commonly deficient in CoQ10, correcting these deficiencies can produce amazing results, such as repairing the heart muscle and restoring heart function in those who have heart attacks. A 1998 study concluded that CoQ10, when administered within three days of the onset of symptoms of a heart attack, can provide rapid protective effects in patients. In a similar study, CoQ10 was studied in 109 patients with high blood pressure, which resulted in a highly significant improvement in heart wall thickness and function. In a third study, CoQ10 showed results of restoring healthy heart function in CHF patients.

CoQ10 has also been studied for its ability to help people with neurological diseases such as amotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Research by the National Institutes of Health has determined that CoQ10 causes a slowing of the progression of Huntington's disease (HD), which is a degenerative that is always fatal with no medication, drug, or nutritional supplement that can cause a decline in the progression of the disease. This study, which compared CoQ10 against remacemide (an investigational drug for Huntington's disease), determined that remacemide had no effect on the progression of HD, yet CoQ10 showed a trend of slowing the disease by an average of 15%. This allowed HD patients to handle every day activities of life a little longer, approximately one year, as well as focus their attention better, and be less depressed and less irritable. Thanks to these results, researchers are very hopeful that the studies of CoQ10 on those with ALS and Parkinson's disease will have similar positive effects on symptoms and progression of these neurological disorders.

The brain's 'blood brain barrier' is made up of tight junctions formed by cells. This barrier restricts what nutrients can pass from the bloodstream into the brain. Although this barrier protects the brain, it is also a very big obstacle when it comes to treating central nervous system disorders. Only substances with unique solubilities or those with a transport system are able to cross the blood-brain barrier to a significant degree. Even though most CoQ10 supplements enter the bloodstream and increase blood serum levels, only special forms of CoQ10 are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the mitochondria within the brain, where it can produce significant neurosupportive results.

Because supplements often have more than one function, CoQ10 has applications not only in neurological and cardiac health, but also in the immune system. However, not all CoQ10 products are the same. Each one varies greatly in quality and absorbability. It's very important to find a product that demonstrates the four following qualities. Firstly, the CoQ10 should be scientifically shown to absorb through the digestive tract, as well as cross cellular membranes, and increase mitochondrial levels of CoQ10. Chewable forms of CoQ10 provide rapid absorption. In order for a CoQ10 supplement to be fully effective, it must cross the cellular barrier and raise intracellular CoQ10 levels. An important indicator in a good CoQ10 product is its ability to get to the mitochondria. Secondly, the supplement you take should be a natural form of CoQ10. Instead of buying a chemically synthesized product, look for one that is naturally processed, using living organisms. Thirdly, your CoQ10 product should be formulated with ingredients that provide the transport system CoQ10 needs to cross the cellular membranes and blood-brain barrier. Because not all forms of CoQ10 have been scientifically proven to do this, look for a prestigious group that has investigated this issue, including: researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Lastly, be sure to buy a product that has been studied by a respected organization whose research has been published.

Each day, the average person should take between 100 mg to 200 mg of CoQ10. Because studies of CoQ10 have used dosages ranging from 100 mg to 1200 mg per day, no toxicities have been reported at this time. However, an occasional mild stomach upset may occur, which can be alleviated by taking the supplement with meals. If you have an interest for other heart-friendly supplements, L-carnitine is a naturally occurring form of carnitine that transports fatty acids into cell mitochondria, where it can be burned for energy. It is an excellent addition to CoQ10, especially for people with heart disease. Along with maintaining overall cardiovascular health, it's important to take care of your fats/lipids levels as well as your blood pressure. Fish oil supplements can significantly reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and homocysteine levels, while, an enteric-coated garlic product with 5,000 mcg of beneficial allicin helps support healthy blood pressure and circulation. Magnesium, niacin, vitamin E, folic acid, hawthorn extract, and L-cysteine provide overall nutritional support to the heart and vascular system as well. All these great natural vitamin supplements can be found at your friendly internet health food store.