Bottom Line/HEALTH: If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, you’re likely taking CoQ10—and if you’re not, you probably should be. And if you haven’t been diagnosed with heart disease, you still probably should be taking CoQ10. So let’s find out why.
I’m Sarah Hiner, president of Bottom Line Publications, and this is our Conversation With the Experts, where we get the answers to your tough questions from our leading experts.
Today I’m speaking to Dr. Andrew Rubman, a leading naturopathic physician and the medical director of the Southbury Clinic in Southbury, Connecticut. Dr. Rubman is also a contributing medical editor to Bottom Line. Welcome, Dr. Rubman.
Dr. Andrew Rubman: Hi, Sarah.
Bottom Line: In a world where doctors want to prescribe all sorts of medications, it’s really fascinating that CoQ10 has such universal acceptance and recommendation. What is it about CoQ10 that has the universal seal of approval?
Dr. Rubman: Because it works by improving something called cardiac ejection fraction. Very simply what that means is that if 100 drops of blood come into the heart, when the heart contracts, the 100 drops of blood get pushed out, the ejection fraction is 100. The less effectively the heart works, the lower the ejection fraction. This becomes a very serious issue in heart disease.
Bottom Line: I understand people who have heart disease would have a lower ejection fraction, but how about just aging people like me? Pretty universally, they’re saying as you age that you should be taking CoQ10. Why is that?
Dr. Rubman: As we age, many body functions begin to decrease. Among them is ejection fraction. The heart will work less efficiently, and therefore it makes good sense to give something that the heart normally uses as a raw material to maintain that efficiency within the pumping mechanism.
Bottom Line: So CoQ10 is manufactured in the body. Does the manufacture of it decline as we age as well?
Dr. Rubman: It can, not only with age, but also with stress and with poor lifestyle and dietary choices.
Bottom Line: Oh, that stress and dietary choices again, right?
Dr. Rubman: Always a factor.
Bottom Line: How do you know that you’re deficient in CoQ10, or should you just presume that you need it?
Dr. Rubman: It depends on your diet, how much attention you’re paying to good, high-quality grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Do you have to eat prepared or processed food more often? Is that going to be an issue for you? Have you had a cardiac exam where the doctor tells you that you need to improve the efficiency of the heart? All of these can be telling signs that you might benefit from CoQ10 supplementation.
Bottom Line: So here I am, I eat pretty healthfully…I don’t sleep enough…I’m under probably more stress than everyone, but everybody has their stressful moments. Should everybody at basically some certain stage of life start taking it?
Dr. Rubman: I would say at 40 years old, it’s worthwhile to give a try. Buy a bottle, take two or three capsules a day throughout the course of the entire bottle. See what your energy, your stamina, your sleep, your mental clarity is like. If you notice that there’s a change in the right direction, obviously, it’s benefitting you.
Bottom Line: Is there anybody in particular that definitely should be doing it? I know there’s a connection between statins and the need for CoQ10.
Dr. Rubman: We definitely know about the connection with statins. There may be a connection with other pharmaceutical drugs. So the answer is, if you’re taking pharmaceutical drugs that may produce some changes like decreasing your availability or your resources of CoQ10, try the same experiment. Try a bottle…see if it works for you. And as you said, particularly if you’re taking a statin, you definitely need to.
Bottom Line: People on statins definitely should be taking it.
Dr. Rubman: Absolutely.
Bottom Line: Are there any special instructions for how to take it? Can I just take it with any meal, or is there anything in particular—like I need to take it with fats or away from fats or proteins or fruits?
Dr. Rubman: It survives very well midmeal, so it can be taken with other supplements that are taken over the course of the meal. It doesn’t tend to interact negatively with any meal components. So any time that it works for you is good.
Bottom Line: And how about any risks?
Dr. Rubman: I haven’t seen anything. It doesn’t mean that there might be an outstanding individual with a particular collection of problems that might have a negative reaction, but my general advice to people is to seek knowledgeable oversight. It’s not really good to supplement on your own in general.
Bottom Line: Any interactions with any kind of drugs, negative interactions?
Dr. Rubman: None that are known.
Bottom Line: Great. Thank you, Dr. Rubman. The bottom line on CoQ10? If you’re 40 or older, you probably should start thinking about it. If you’ve had heart disease or have been diagnosed with heart disease, you definitely should be thinking about it. And if you’re on statins, you absolutely should be supplementing with CoQ10. It’s universally accepted, and it is very safe. This is Sarah Hiner with Bottom Line on Your Health.
