History of coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is relatively new in the eyes of the American
research community. It was first discovered in the United States in
1957 by Professor F.L. Crane and his colleagues at the University of
Wisconsin Enzyme Institute. A year later, in 1958, the chemical
structure of coenzyme Q10 was reported by a research group at Merck
Laboratories.
It was the Japanese that really took the lead with intense research
and testing of Co Q10. In 1963, their test results began to show
positive results. Because of this, the Japanese scientists
aggressively pursued research on Co Q10, and taking coenzyme Q10
daily soon gained wide acceptance in Japan.
Because Co Q10 cannot be trademarked, originally research was
hampered due to the high cost of producing it. In the 1970s, the
Japanese began to find alternative ways to produce coenzyme Q10. As
more cost-effective processes were discovered, and the price began
to come down, research became more prolific.
In 1978, British scientist Peter Mitchell received a Nobel Prize for
his hypothesis about the role of coenzyme Q10 and the transfer of
energy in the mitochondria. In 1986, Dr. Folkers was awarded the
prestigious Priestly Medal of the American Chemical Society for his
research on coenzyme Q10.
From 1957 through 1988, there were some 2,300 medical studies on
coenzyme Q10. Since then, there have been countless others.
Coenzyme Q10 and human nutrition
Coenzyme Q10 is found in the foods we eat, but not often in large
amounts. The best sources of coenzyme Q10 are animal organs, some
types of fish, and vegetable oils such as soybean, rapeseed, and
sesame. It is found in lesser quantities in rice bran and wheat
germ, and in soy and other beans. It is also found in vegetables, in
particular spinach and broccoli. Coenzyme Q10 is easily destroyed in
the cooking process, and in refined grains much of the coenzyme Q10
is removed.
The creation of coenzyme Q10 by the body is a complex process. At
least 15 different reactions are necessary (each begun by an
enzyme), and there are many cofactor substances. This means that
coenzyme Q10 is difficult for the body to produce because all the
component parts must be available in sufficient quantities at the
same time. Some of the essential cofactors are not created by the
body. A deficiency in any of these—vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, C, and
folate—would make it difficult for the liver to produce enough
coenzyme Q10. Unfortunately, the older you get, the less ability you
have to produce coenzyme Q10.
Our lives and environment also affect coenzyme Q10 levels; stressful
lives and polluted environments can deplete coenzyme Q10 from body
tissue. By some estimates, as many as 75 percent of people over age
50 in the United States could be deficient in coenzyme Q10.
Suggested Reading
Bliznakov, Emile G., M.D., and Gerald L. Hunt. The Miracle Nutrient
Coenzyme Q10. New York: Bantam Books. 1987.
Langsjoen, Per, Peter H. Langsjoen, and Karl Folkers. "Long-term
efficacy and safety of coenzyme Q10 therapy for idiopathic dilated
cardiomyopathy." American Journal of Cardiology. February 15, 1990.
Vol. 65, No. 7.
Lee, William H. Coenzyme Q10. Is It Our Fountain of Youth? New
Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc. 1987.
Wagner, Eugene S. Coenzyme Q10, The Vital Spark of Life. American
Institute of Health and Nutrition. 1992
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