If You Love a Senior Give Them the Gift of Kirkman CoQ10

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If You Love a Senior Give Them the Gift of Kirkman’s CoQ10
By Teri Arranga Contributing Writer Kirkman Group, Inc.
I love my mom, who will be 84 years old on her birthday this month, which falls right around Thanksgiving. I’m thankful that my mom is alive, and I help keep her that way with Kirkman’s Ultra Tested® supplements. I’m also thankful to be able to give her supplements from the Ultra Tested® line because I trust Ultra Tested® with the health of my loved ones. Since my mom has high cholesterol, her doctors prescribed a statin drug. In this circumstance, I feel good about including Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 – aka ubiquinone) every day. According to a laboratory study from Oregon State University, “The statins that reduce cholesterol production also reduce levels of CoQ10.” 1 So, when my mom spent some time in a nice assisted living community several years ago, I was even able to several have their doctor prescribe Kirkman’s CoQ10 so that it could be added to her community years ago, I was even able to have daily doctor dosing prescribe regimen. Kirkman’s CoQ10 so that it could their be added to her daily dosing regimen. What I have since learned is that CoQ10 is an exciting vitamin-like nutrient imperative to every process that requires energy in the human body, acting as a catalyst in the biochemical pathway that produces cellular energy. CoQ10 supports all cellular activity and energy – in about a hundred trillion cells – and CoQ10 is found in every one of these in the mitochondria (or powerhouses) of each cell. CoQ10 helps convert food to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the building block of cellular energy. CoQ10 is
also instrumental in the regeneration of vitamin E (another antioxidant), and it particularly supports health as the body ages. The brain and the heart require large amounts of energy to work properly, and both of these organs are key when talking about the health of seniors, because as a person ages, the effects of free radical damage have more time to accumulate. A free radical is a highly reactive molecule that can bind and damage or destroy cells in the body. Reactive oxygen species are free radicals specifically involving oxygen, and this can cause a loss of function in neural cells. Free radical damage is linked to Alzheimer’s disease – degeneration of the brain. Antioxidants, like CoQ10, can help neutralize free radicals. Parkinson’s disease is another age-related concern, and CoQ10 helps with this neurological disease as well. According to a published paper, “Neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus and especially aging and Alzheimer’s disease exhibit altered levels of ubiquinone or ubiquinol, indicating their likely crucial role in the pathogenesis and cellular mechanisms of these ailments.” 2 (Although oral administration of ubiquinone has shown beneficial effects on the brain, heart and other organs, it must first be reduced in the body to ubiquinol, its active metabolite. It is ubiquinol that guards against toxic oxidative reactions.) In addition to neurological disease, CoQ10 addresses cardiovascular disease. The average adult heart beats over 100,000 times per day! That’s a lot of effort for the muscular organ. It must beat all the time without ever taking a break. Heart cells contain many mitochondria, which facilitates ongoing energy production. Theoretically, because the heart uses up so much energy, we would think that CoQ10 would be vital for this organ. But does research validate this? In the abstract for The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure — Results from the Q-SYMBIO study researchers reported: “…The CoQ10 treated patients had reduced hospital admission rates for worsening HF [heart failure] and lower cardiovascular death both of which may reflect a significant improvement in cardiac function. CoQ10 treatment was safe with a reduced all cause mortality rate. CoQ10 should be considered as a part of the maintenance therapy of patients with chronic HF.” 3 According to Dr. Gaetano Morello, a licensed physician with the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia, “The heart requires a large amount of energy to function properly, so it’s not surprising that some of the highest concentrations of CoQ10 are found in the cardiovascular system. And because free radical damage plays a significant
role in many types of heart disease — especially atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure (CHF) — supplementing with ubiquinol has been found to mitigate cardiovascular damage.”4 Just as CoQ10 protects the brain from free radical damage – it also protects the heart. Here’s another interesting fact: I didn’t realize that CoQ10 was helpful to gum tissue. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center website, “Clinical studies show that people with gum disease tend to have low levels of CoQ10 in their gums.” 5 I’ve used probiotics for support of oral, gastrointestinal, and immune system health, but in doing the research for this article, I now realize that I should be taking CoQ10 also! You know, I’m part of the “sandwich generation” – bringing up my special needs child and caring for an aging parent. I’ve been giving them both Kirkman’s supplements for years, and I really should be doing this for myself as well. I also need to support my energy and stamina, memory and antioxidant status. A 2008 study from Dr. S. Jill James stated, “Parents share similar metabolic deficits in methylation capacity and glutathione-dependent antioxidant/detoxification capacity observed in many autistic children.” 6Kirkman’s CoQ10 is now also offered in a 120 mg hypoallergenic capsule – this is both convenient and cost effective. For every decade that we age, our ability to synthesize CoQ10 decreases by 20 percent. And diet is often not enough to make up the difference. We need to safeguard the high-quality supplemental sources we have. I knew many years ago that Kirkman® used superior quality sources, even before Kirkman® developed the Ultra Tested® line – screening for over 950 contaminants. I’d felt good about Kirkman’s CoQ10 before because I trusted Kirkman’s sourcing of the raw materials. And now, the Kirkman® Ultra Tested® seal drives that point home – and into my home. What about yours?