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Thought I would start this thread for those interested in contributing, commenting or simply reading.

Below is from Dr. Purlmutter's site:

CoQ10: Powerful Supplement for Health

We’re certainly hearing a lot about the nutritional supplement, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), as of late, and with good reason. The clinical application of CoQ10 has now been validated in many conditions, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, chemotherapy, and periodontal disease. It’s now being explored for therapeutic efficacy in such diverse entities as immune function, migraine prevention, high blood pressure and even sperm motility.

CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell in the body, where it plays a pivotal role in the process whereby the cell is able to convert fuel into energy. Beyond this obviously critical function, CoQ10 also serves as one of the body’s most crucial antioxidants, protecting every cell against the damaging effects of chemicals called free radicals. So it’s no wonder CoQ10 is receiving so much attention.

CoQ10 is manufactured in the body, and levels of this life-supportive chemical are enhanced when CoQ10 is consumed. Lower levels may be associated with the use of various medications including:

  • Statin drugs used for lowering cholesterol. These include Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, and Mevacor.
  • Beta-blocker drugs used for high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and heart rhythm disturbances. These include Inderal, Lopressor, Toprol, Tenormin and Normodyne.
  • Tricyclic antidepressants including Elavil, Sinequan and Tofranil.

CoQ10 has shown particular usefulness in the field of cardiology where a research has demonstrated its profound effectiveness in terms of heart health by improving the amount of blood the heart was able to pump as well as in improving blood pressure. Perhaps the most compelling finding in this study of 424 patients with various forms of cardiovascular disease was the fact that after starting CoQ10, a non-prescription nutritional supplement, an incredible 43% of the subjects were able to reduce their prescription medications from three to one. The authors concluded:

CoQ10 is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for a broad range of cardiovascular diseases, producing gratifying clinical responses while easing the medical and financial burden of multi-drug therapy.

As mentioned above, CoQ10 can be reduced in patients taking statin drugs. In my opinion, all patients on these cholesterol lowering drugs should consider taking supplemental CoQ10 as I recently discussed in roundtable interview, entitled: Appropriate Clinical Use of Statins: A Discussion of the Evidence, Scope, Benefits and Risk. Please take a look at this discussion as I’m certain it will help answer some important questions. In addition, some very informative research about coenzyme Q10 can be found in the science section of our website.

Coenzyme Q10 is one of the most fundamentally important nutritional supplements I recommend and use in my clinical practice not just for patients with heart disease, but to support brain health and general health as well. We generally recommend 100mg daily, and 200mg daily for those on statins, beta-blockers, or tricyclic antidepressants.

http://www.drperlmutter.com/best-supplement-arent-already-taking/?hvid=GCtBN&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CoQ10%20Supp&utm_campaign=CoQ10%20Supp%20&utm_source=Newsletter+Signup&utm_campaign=e2178eb09a-CoQ10_Supplement_Blog8_18_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e07b6602c1-e2178eb09a-98919145&mc_cid=e2178eb09a&mc_eid=09c5a3e686

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Yes, we have CoQ10 and take it with other a lot of other stuff in some kind of random cycle. We both take gender-specific powerful multi-vitamin multi-mineral pills; and we both take our own preferred other kinds of supplements.

The problems with this are in the scientific control regime: how do you know? We will not know until we do not die of heart disease whether the CoQ10 made a difference. And maybe then we would not know. Maybe it was all the pureed cucumbers we drank. (I am hoping it was the beer. Laurel is betting on coffee.)

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, so I had half of it removed. Not all of it. No chemo; no radioactive iodine; minimum necessary. I lost my life insurance policy. OK, so, when I die, my wife and daughter do not win the lottery. But, you know, I am not likely to die of thyroid cancer or of prostate cancer. I am most likely to die in some other accident totally unrelated to what I ate or drank. In terms of order of magnitude, you are as likely to die from jumping on the furniture as you are from an airline accident. (National Safety Council here: http://www.nsc.org/news_resources/injury_and_death_statistics/Pages/TheOddsofDyingFrom.aspx )

The only advice that matters is live your own life according to your own standard and accomplish whatever is important to you. (A piano could fall on your head tomorrow.)

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Thought I would start this thread for those interested in contributing, commenting or simply reading.

Below is from Dr. Purlmutter's site:

CoQ10: Powerful Supplement for Health

We’re certainly hearing a lot about the nutritional supplement, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), as of late, and with good reason. The clinical application of CoQ10 has now been validated in many conditions, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, chemotherapy, and periodontal disease. It’s now being explored for therapeutic efficacy in such diverse entities as immune function, migraine prevention, high blood pressure and even sperm motility.

CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell in the body, where it plays a pivotal role in the process whereby the cell is able to convert fuel into energy. Beyond this obviously critical function, CoQ10 also serves as one of the body’s most crucial antioxidants, protecting every cell against the damaging effects of chemicals called free radicals. So it’s no wonder CoQ10 is receiving so much attention.

CoQ10 is manufactured in the body, and levels of this life-supportive chemical are enhanced when CoQ10 is consumed. Lower levels may be associated with the use of various medications including:

  • Statin drugs used for lowering cholesterol. These include Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, and Mevacor.
  • Beta-blocker drugs used for high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and heart rhythm disturbances. These include Inderal, Lopressor, Toprol, Tenormin and Normodyne.
  • Tricyclic antidepressants including Elavil, Sinequan and Tofranil.

CoQ10 has shown particular usefulness in the field of cardiology where a research has demonstrated its profound effectiveness in terms of heart health by improving the amount of blood the heart was able to pump as well as in improving blood pressure. Perhaps the most compelling finding in this study of 424 patients with various forms of cardiovascular disease was the fact that after starting CoQ10, a non-prescription nutritional supplement, an incredible 43% of the subjects were able to reduce their prescription medications from three to one. The authors concluded:

As mentioned above, CoQ10 can be reduced in patients taking statin drugs. In my opinion, all patients on these cholesterol lowering drugs should consider taking supplemental CoQ10 as I recently discussed in roundtable interview, entitled: Appropriate Clinical Use of Statins: A Discussion of the Evidence, Scope, Benefits and Risk. Please take a look at this discussion as I’m certain it will help answer some important questions. In addition, some very informative research about coenzyme Q10 can be found in the science section of our website.

CoQ10 is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for a broad range of cardiovascular diseases, producing gratifying clinical responses while easing the medical and financial burden of multi-drug therapy.

Coenzyme Q10 is one of the most fundamentally important nutritional supplements I recommend and use in my clinical practice not just for patients with heart disease, but to support brain health and general health as well. We generally recommend 100mg daily, and 200mg daily for those on statins, beta-blockers, or tricyclic antidepressants.

http://www.drperlmutter.com/best-supplement-arent-already-taking/?hvid=GCtBN&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CoQ10%20Supp&utm_campaign=CoQ10%20Supp%20&utm_source=Newsletter+Signup&utm_campaign=e2178eb09a-CoQ10_Supplement_Blog8_18_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e07b6602c1-e2178eb09a-98919145&mc_cid=e2178eb09a&mc_eid=09c5a3e686

From the Mayo Clinic article on CoQ10:

Promising uses of CoQ10 include eye disease, chest pain caused by exercise, asthma, chronic fatigue, and high cholesterol, as well as the treatment of chemotherapy side effects in children.

Evidence is conflicting for the use of CoQ10 in heart muscle problems and exercise performance. There is some negative evidence for the use of CoQ10 in the treatment of diabetes, hepatitis C, and Huntington's disease.

It is probably not a cure-all.

Ba'al Chatzaf

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OMG some humor from Michael :smile:

Not a cure all for me.

Oh, & I'll speak for myself, thank you.

Stay well

-J

P.S. Have any recent medical studies you care to contribute?

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15 liters of alcohol per year seems to be optimal (at least for the Japanese).

http://supportingevidence.com/Health/Life_expectancy_v_alcohol_consump_by_country.html

The same ratio does not much good for the Mexicans, Poles, or Slovaks, - my Hungarian cousins are the worst off- so other factors must figure in. But note Turkey: "No beer; no life."

But beer does mitigate copper deficiency in rats:

http://www.science-bbs.com/117-life-extension/bc03153d17a3fa41.htm

I guess the thing to do is to market classy copper beer-stirrers, like swizzle sticks for cocktails.

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Not a cure all... but more to digest:

Early Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Primary Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0800582

and another:

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/feb2006_cover_coq10_01.htm

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Supplements shmupplements. Whatever happened to good ol' fashioned eating right and exercise?

That probably will work very well if you don't have a serious health problem and maybe even if you do. But to reverse cancer or heart disease or diabetes nutritionally you might need to 'overdose' on nutrition, and supplements can be helpful to 'overdose' on nutrition.

Supplements can have problems. Sometimes the nutrient is in a form that the body can't use; for example calcium from rocks. Another example is cyano-B12; at best it is used so inefficiently that it has no therapeutic value, at worst it can cause a deficiency of B12. Better is methyl-B12. Sometimes a nutrient in a supplement is out of context with other nutrients that it is used together with; for example beta carotene in isolation can cause an imbalance with alpha carotene and gamma carotene that might be worse than the original deficiency. (Taking beta carotene tablets is a silly idea anyway because it is so easy to get all the carotenes from veggies.) Sometimes a nutrient in a supplement is too concentrated to be used efficiently. For these reasons I tend to hold to the idea that we should get our nutrients from foods if possible, from supplements if necessary. Foods also usually taste better.

But even after the above paragraph, to nutritionally reverse a major serious disease such as for example cancer, you might need supplements in addition to a good diet.

There are many cases where someone reversed a disease that the medical profession says can't be reversed. A common theme running thru these cases is 'overdosing' on nutrition, sometimes with supplements.

You need a certain amount of various nutrients to maintain health. To beat a serious disease caused by a deficiency you need more. It is like money. You need a certain amount of income to live on, let's say $2000/month. (This is just an arbitrary number picked out of thin air; use a different number if you like.) This is analogous to needing whatever amounts of nutrients to maintain health. Now imagine you owe a large amount of money, say $100,000. This is analogous to having a serious disease such as cancer. Now in order to pay the loan of $100,000, you need an income of more than $2000/month. You need enough to live on plus some. This is analogous to needing enough nutrients to maintain your health plus some to improve your health.

When I say 'nutrients' I mean micronutrients, not macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats, fiber, water). The idea is to 'overdose' on the micronutrients without getting excess of the macronutrients.

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... and don't forget to fast... It seems that going without food allows the body to cleanse itself of poisons. jts pushes it here big time, but I heard it first about 10 years ago in an anthropology class. Life expectancy is short in primitive societies, but what kills them are not the same things that kill us. Breast cancer is rare among women who feed one baby for three years while walking a forging/gathering range. Just sayin'...

It is "common sense" to eat a good breakfast. However, many times, I go until 4:00 PM before I eat; that includes short walks up to 3 miles to the store and back for things like postage stamps. (The post office is 3 miles from here; 6 miles just takes too much time out of the day.) It is 100F here through July and August; makes you sweat...

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... and don't forget to fast...

That's good advice, Michael. Like you, I also do a "mini-fasts". I don't eat breakfast or lunch when I'm working, and just bring some fruit, nuts, juice and water to snack on in the afternoon. And whenever I get really busy I don't eat anything. This approach has worked out pretty well in the long run. I'm 66, don't take any prescription drugs, and haven't had an aspirin in 50 years.

Greg

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I've done mini-fasts for years. Same for lap swimming, weights, supplements and low carb eating.

I'm 67. Haven't had even a cold for years. My resting pulse is 59. BP 118 over 70. Waist is 34.

With the exception of low back arthritis, which I've had since birth, I feel good. For me it's not so much how long I will live but how well I've lived without illness. No complaints here.

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I've done mini-fasts for years. Same for lap swimming, weights, supplements and low carb eating.

I'm 67. Haven't had even a cold for years. My resting pulse is 59. BP 118 over 70. Waist is 34.

With the exception of low back arthritis, which I've had since birth, I feel good. For me it's not so much how long I will live but how well I've lived without illness. No complaints here.

I do at least one a year. One for Yom Ha Kippurim and another one just for the hell of it.

Ba'alChatzaf

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I've done mini-fasts for years. Same for lap swimming, weights, supplements and low carb eating.

I'm 67. Haven't had even a cold for years. My resting pulse is 59. BP 118 over 70. Waist is 34.

With the exception of low back arthritis, which I've had since birth, I feel good. For me it's not so much how long I will live but how well I've lived without illness. No complaints here.

I do at least one a year. One for Yom Ha Kippurim and another one just for the hell of it.

Ba'alChatzaf

Last one I did was several months back, for a colonoscopy.....but that's another story. lol

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Swim time in the pool has always been a super charge for my batteries. One can push or cruise, sprinting or distance, with little affect on the joints. At my age that's appreciated. The health benefits are time tested.

http://www.mensfitness.co.uk/exercises/3828/5-key-benefits-of-swimming

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I read also that supplementing L-Carnitine works synergistically with Co-Q10

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1026-l-carnitine.aspx?activeingredientid=1026&activeingredientname=l-carnitine

And here is the link describing the use of both and why

http://www.confidenceusa.com/site/prod-co-q10.php

Thanks of the links.

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Swim time in the pool has always been a super charge for my batteries. One can push or cruise, sprinting or distance, with little affect on the joints. At my age that's appreciated. The health benefits are time tested.

http://www.mensfitness.co.uk/exercises/3828/5-key-benefits-of-swimming

Thanks! I haven't done much swimming in the last couple of decades (my wife doesn't much like swimming), I used to like going for a swim in the delta here in the bay area in the summer time. Here is a related article. Pavel Tsatsouline's writings contain the best information about strength training, tension and relaxation, and conditioning that I've found in the last few years. He is not just interested in the young studs but in the older athlete population who may have experienced some hard knocks. Particularly the military and special forces types trying to stay active. He trains his dad who's in his mid to late 70's, competes in power lifting and deadlifts well over 400 lbs. Pavel's organization, Strongfirst, has entry level kettlebell courses, one of which I attended this month. Here is my review.

I think the combination of swimming and kettlebell swings and get-ups would be golden. Presently I combine hiking with a pack on the weekends (my wife loves to hike) and Pavel's "Simple and Sinister" program during the week along with a paleo diet, I feel great.

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Swim time in the pool has always been a super charge for my batteries. One can push or cruise, sprinting or distance, with little affect on the joints. At my age that's appreciated. The health benefits are time tested.

http://www.mensfitness.co.uk/exercises/3828/5-key-benefits-of-swimming

Thanks! I haven't done much swimming in the last couple of decades (my wife doesn't much like swimming), I used to like going for a swim in the delta here in the bay area in the summer time. Here is a related article. Pavel Tsatsouline's writings contain the best information about strength training, tension and relaxation, and conditioning that I've found in the last few years. He is not just interested in the young studs but in the older athlete population who may have experienced some hard knocks. Particularly the military and special forces types trying to stay active. He trains his dad who's in his mid to late 70's, competes in power lifting and deadlifts well over 400 lbs. Pavel's organization, Strongfirst, has entry level kettlebell courses, one of which I attended this month. Here is my review.

I think the combination of swimming and kettlebell swings and get-ups would be golden. Presently I combine hiking with a pack on the weekends (my wife loves to hike) and Pavel's "Simple and Sinister" program during the week along with a paleo diet, I feel great.

Swimming, kettlebell swings, hiking & the Paleo diet.... can't go wrong with that.

-J

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