What is COQ10?

[Janice]

What is it? What does it do? Has anyone had results taking it? And most importantly, CAN I GET IT IN CANADA?

Janice

[gwilson38]

COQ10 helps produce energy to keep cells functioning properly. It is also an antitoxadant the gets rid of the bad free radicals in your system. Helps promote fat burning. I have never taken it, good heavens I take so many other things..LOL I do know it is very expensive and yes we can get it here.

[doreen T]

CoQ10 is extremely expensive ... It's of most benefit for patients with heart disease and diabetes.

Vitamin E is very similar, and equally potent as an antioxidant. It's also a lot less expensive thatn CoQ10. In Protein Power Lifeplan, the Drs Eades suggest that vit. E may even improve the cells' sensitivity to insulin, thus reducing insulin resistance.

Doreen

[Janice]

I just got back from the grocery store! I didn't pick any up yet, I want to see if anyone out there has an opinion on whether or not it works. Anybody taking it?

Janice

[Natrushka]

To be honest I take it and I don't take it - depends on whether I remember or not :rolleyes: It is expensive and I have heard good things about it - you might want to check what they say about here Supplement Watch A-Z (www.supplementwatch.com) its a very good site that I use often when researching vit/supplements.

You might also want to take a look through Marlaine's Journal - she has been taking it for some time now.

Nat

[razzle]

Janice, I don't know that it's possible to tell if any of these 'work' -- if we all live 'til we're 85, cancer-free, sprightly and sharp-witted, then we might guess it was the CoQ10 or extra B vitamins or maybe just happy thoughts or lively companions that we can thank. ;) Even if we do get extra years, causation is impossible to attribute to any one substance or activity when our lives were so long and complex! If you read six studies that say, in double-blind tests, such and such happened for 75% of people taking some pill (OTC or prescription, for that matter), there are still 100 other explanations than "pill cured condition" for that result. If X pill did cure anything (especially obesity), millions would be taking it and everyone would clearly know that result.

As for me, nothing (including CoQ10) I've taken has sped fat loss, nothing has made me feel better in any sense, nothing has cured my PMS, and no pill or cream has made me look 15 years younger. Feverfew may have gotten rid of 10% of migraines, but I can't swear to that, either (could have been a random association, as migraines ease up and get worse periodically.) Despite my skepticism, I do hear St John's Wort works for mild depression. Depression is, however, very sensitive to the placebo effect.

If Vitamin E is a good, inexpensive substitute, as Doreen says, sounds like a good place to start.

[allisonm]

Hi Janice --

I've been taking CoQ10 all along from the begining and losing chunks at a time (with six week plateaus in between). But, like Razzle points out, how do you know which factor created which effect? I take everything that I've read will aid fat loss. And I low-carb diligently. For the past six weeks I've added in exercise.

If you do decide to take it, the best price I've found is at Costco (but you have to be a member). They put it on sale every few months for $9.99 US with 90 x 50 mg. capsules. (Reg $14.99). Still expensive but nowhere near other prices I've seen.

Allison

[alto]

Uh-ho. I've been taking COQ10 AND Vitamin E (when I remember, which hasn't been often lately). Is this too much of a good thing, Webdoctors? :)

[Schwarz]

I've taken COQ10 long before I even knew LCing existed (I only found out about LCing 6 months ago). One thing I discovered is that it almost has a 'caffeine' affect on me. DON'T take it at night before you go to bed ...it kept me awake, it may do the same for you. I didn't notice any caffeine affect on me when taking Vit. E. Taking COQ10 helped me be able to kick my morning cup of caffeinated coffee (I didn't take it just to kick my coffee habit ...it was just something I noticed & was happy about). I did feel I got a bit of an energy boost from COQ10 ...whether or not it has helped with weightloss, I can't really say one way or another.

Keep in mind that, if you're taking COQ10 and / or Vitamin E (which thins out your blood), you need to be cautious about other 'blood thinning' supplements & medications you may want / need to take.

[Janice]

Thanks for everyone's info and input!

Janice

[alto]

Adding my thanks. Especially to Schwarz. I only took COQ10 for a few days, and didn't notice a caffeine effect and I don't take any blood thinning medication (I don't take any medication except occasional over-the-counter sinus pills). It just never occurred to me that it would overlap with Vitamin E.