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Coenzyme
Q10 And Prostate Cancer, Prostate Supplements, Prostate Diet
April 30, 2007
Most of the complementary and alternative medical literature
on coenzyme Q10 claim it delays or even reverses aspects of aging.
In fact, there is considerable evidence that coenzyme Q10 plays
a role in aging, but not in the way you might think.
Most of us—scientists included—have a vested interest
in slowing aging. I can assure you that at age 62, I would have
preferred to have stopped my own aging process about 20 years
ago.
But scientists largely study aging in lab models because it would
take so long to do such experiments in people. Still, they’re
legitimately concerned with the issues we just discussed: how
do we know if our lab findings are relevant to people? Well,
current thinking goes like this: aging seems to be a factor common
to nearly all animals. Therefore, it is possible that we will
find that the same basic processes promote and slow aging across
many organisms. And this has been investigated using a well-defined
list of experimental models: yeast, vinegar worm, fruit fly,
mouse, and rhesus monkey. Once a process emerges as common to
all of these models, it is then tested in humans.
As yet, calorie restriction remains by far the most consistent
means of slowing aging across all of these experimental models.
In all of these models, calorie restriction not only prolongs
life span, but also slows metabolism, which seems to be important
in delaying aging. The opposite is also true: those things that
speed metabolism generally also accelerate aging and shorten
life span. Modest calorie restriction renders an organism more
efficient: the same amount of work takes fewer calories. While
clinical trials have not been done that show prolonged life span
in humans through calorie restriction, we do know that calorie
restriction causes metabolic changes that allow more work to
be done with fewer calories expended. Anyone who has tried to
lose weight by dieting is well acquainted with this fact.
The mitochondria (powerhouses of the cell) are where most food
calories are consumed and where calorie restriction has the most
significant impact. As you age, your mitochondria become less
and less efficient at converting food into useable energy. Calorie
restriction slows this decline. Calorie-restricted mice are much
more alert and active than their well-fed contemporaries. They
also use food energy more efficiently: their mitochondria waste
less energy. This research has led naturally to the idea that
it might be possible to repair aging mitochondria in some way
that will allow them to function like young mitochondria. If
successful, the mitochondria would be reenergized.
This is where coenzyme Q10 comes in. CQ10 plays a central role
in mitochondrial function and mitochondrial content of coenzyme
Q10 declines with aging. Adding coenzyme Q10 reenergizes the
mitochondria. Perhaps this stimulation of mitochondrial function
explains why CQ10 temporarily improves heart function in patients
with congestive heart failure and improves brain function in
those with Parkinson's disease.
These phenomena have led many alternative and complementary health
practitioners to promote CQ10 as a means of improving mitochondrial
function in those struggling with the consequences of aging,
heart failure, or Parkinson’s disease.
But here’s the catch: How do we know that CQ10 is not just
making the well-known metaphorical candle burn brighter, at the
expense of burning out quicker? Well, a recent study of fruit
flies shows just that: CQ10 reenergized the mitochondria but
accelerated aging! As I pointed out above, lab models aren’t
human beings and I’m sure you’ll agree that there
are considerable differences between you and a fruit fly. But
these studies do raise a safety concern.
To read the full issue, purchase back
issue Volume 9 Issue 4 here. |
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