How much CoQ10 should I take?

With a variety of supplements available on the market, it can be challenging to determine which ones you need. Once you understand which are beneficial and which are a waste of money, you need to determine the appropriate supplement dosage for you. 

But what about CoQ10? You might be asking yourself, what is it and how much CoQ10 should I take?  How can I ensure a correct dosage? Over the years, the numbers have changed with our advancing knowledge. Read on to learn more about this powerful supplement.    

What do we mean by CoQ10?

Before we examine what CoQ10 is, we need to know about how it’s produced. The body’s mitochondria, our cell’s powerhouse, naturally produces CoQ10, converting our body’s oxygen and food into fuel. CoQ10 is a shortened form of the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10, which protects the body against damage caused by free radicals and is a vital piece of the metabolic process.  

The importance of Antioxidants 

Antioxidants are essential to the body’s health because they help prevent cell damage. They do this by decreasing the damage done by free radicals. Celular reactions, including mitochondrial energy production, create “free radicals.” A small amount may not be harmful, but too many free radicals cause damage to our cells. 

In large doses, not balanced by CoQ10, free radicals are dangerous because they’re missing an electron that they steal from cells, damaging them. If antioxidants are present and available, it takes it from them without damaging the cell. The body can make antioxidants if it has the building blocks that naturally occur in brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Few people eat enough fruits and vegetables that are required to keep healthy, though; that’s where supplements come in.        

Mitochondrial Health 

Mitochondrial health is about the mitochondria’s efficiency in providing your cells with the energy needed to live. If they function optimally, we are healthier. But over time, our mitochondrial health can decline. Age, improper diet, lack of proper sleep, and poor exercise habits can all cause them to fall off. Some signs of deterioration in mitochondrial health include:

• Brain fog 
• Exhaustion
• Poor healing capabilities
• Inability to sleep
• Feeling stressed out
• Looking older, especially on the skin 
• Mood swings that you typically don’t experience
• High blood pressure or circulatory problems

While some of these symptoms may be age-related, others may be improvable through an increased mitochondrial function, which you can help improve, regardless of your age, by doing what you can. 

What Can you do to help increase your mitochondrial function naturally?

There are a variety of things that you can do to increase your mitochondrial function naturally, including:

• Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet with plenty of dark greens, bright oranges, and vibrant blues and reds found in fruits and vegetables
• Increasing physical activity. If you can, it’s best to exercise regularly at a moderate to vigorous level several days a week. Include both aerobics and weight training in your routine to optimize this.  
• Getting enough sleep by keeping a regular bedtime and avoiding blue light from computer screens and cell phones within an hour of bedtime. 
• Quitting smoking. Or, if you must smoke, drastically reduce the amount you do.  
• Avoiding excessive unprotected sun exposure. You can wear a lightweight shirt and hat and use sunscreen to help prevent some of the adverse side effects. Also, try to avoid going out at peak heat, which is typically around 3 p.m..  
• Cutting back on alcohol consumption or eliminating it entirely. If you must drink something, opt for  wine, which tends to be better for your health.
• Reducing exposure to environmental toxins by avoiding chemicals like insecticides and herbicides. Staying indoors on bad air quality days and using water instead of a broom to prevent potentially toxic dust from becoming airborne can help too.   

Minor changes may be able to increase health over time, but what if you need a boost now? That’s where CoQ10 supplements come in.  

How do CoQ10 supplements help mitochondrial function and health?

CoQ10 levels affect mitochondrial health, but it’s not that simple. You can’t just add a CoQ10 supplement to your diet without considering how well it will get absorbed; you have to take it with oils or fatty acids, or it will be ineffectual. Mitochondria needs CoQ10, so the question becomes how to effectively deliver CoQ10 to this part of the cell. Negatively charged mitochondria need positively charged CoQ10 for proper absorption.

The MitoQ difference

MitoQ designed a supplement explicitly created to cross the mitochondrial membrane, making it 1,000 X better than standard CoQ10s you can find on the market. 

How much CoQ10 should I take?

So, how much CoQ10 should you take? If you use traditional CoQ10, you’ll  easily take doses between 500 mg to 1200 mg daily as it doesn’t absorb; but not so with brands like MitoQ! Their formula is only a 10 mg dose taken once daily to help preserve your health, encourage mental clarity, aid in aging health, uphold vitality, and support overall cellular health and resilience.