CoQ10 (abbreviated for coenzyme Q10) is a vitamin-like compound also known as ubiquinone. Ubiquinone combines two terms that describe this substance well – a quinone is a type of coenzyme and ubiquitous indicates it exists everywhere in the human body, which it does. CoQ10 plays an important role in your body’s energy production and is an essential component of the mitochondria, where it helps to metabolize fats and carbohydrates and maintain cell membrane flexibility. CoQ10 is also involved in the production of several key enzymes that are used to create ATP, which is burned by your body for energy, and in the energy transfer between mitochondria and cells. Without CoQ10, you would not be alive or able to function.

CoQ10 is also an effective antioxidant that may beneficially affect the aging process. As we age, our body’s production of CoQ10 declines by as much as 80%. Because it is so important to energy production, and therefore life, researchers believe that this decline may be a factor in the effects of aging on the human body.

The highest levels of CoQ10 are found in tissues in the body that work the hardest, like the heart, the liver, etc. Initial studies into CoQ10 found that persons with cardiac insufficiencies had very low levels of CoQ10, and supplementation increased CoQ10 levels. So CoQ10 is not only an effective antioxidant, but it supports cardiovascular health as well.