Recent scientific advances reveal what could be called "the CoQ10 paradox," where the same doses of CoQ10 that boost longevity aims for some people are hurting the longevity prospects of others.
We can see the benefits of CoQ10 toward healthspan and lifespan by looking at randomized controlled trials testing the ability of CoQ10 to protect against major killers:
- In diabetics, 20-400 milligrams CoQ10 for between 8 weeks and 6 months improved glycemic and blood lipid values.
- 150-300 milligrams per day given for 8-12 weeks improves flow-mediated dilation, a marker of endothelial function, which means that it allows the blood vessels to dilate more effectively when compensating for restricted blood flow. This is compromised early in the path towards cardiovascular disease, and suggests CoQ10 may prevent cardiovascular disease.
- For blood pressure, 100-200 milligrams of CoQ10 lowers systolic pressure by 4.8 points, and lowers diastolic pressure by 1.7 points.
- For heart failure, 20 to 270 milligrams a day for between 8 weeks and two years reduced cardiovascular mortality by 37%, heart failure hospitalization by 39%, and nearly doubled the ejection fraction of the heart, which is the volume of blood it pumps.
- In the same body of literature, there was an almost statistically significant 32% reduction in all-cause mortality.
However, this same research has revealed an important truth about CoQ10 supplementation: what benefits some individuals may actually harm others.
CoQ10 is a central component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, where 90% of our cellular ATP is formed. If it is the limiting bottleneck in the flow of energy through the chain, it should help you. If it carries energy straight into another more powerful bottleneck, however, it could hurt you.
The ability of CoQ10 to hurt longevity can be seen in the following studies:
- While 100-200 milligrams of CoQ10 appears the optimal dose for blood pressure, a few percent of people experience an increase in blood pressure at these doses.
- Some people get their maximal improvement in glycemic control at 400 milligrams, but at this dose the average person is experiencing a 5-unit increase in fasting insulin.
- In mice, lifelong use of CoQ10 impaired spatial learning and memory and worsened age-related hearing loss.
- In Parkinson's patients, high-dose CoQ10 caused orthostatic hypotension (faintness upon standing), acid reflux, heart palpitations, and hypocalcemia.
In principle you could try it and see if it works. But are you going to see the rise in your fasting insulin without running more lab work than your doctor is willing to order? Are you going to notice progressive loss of spacial memory and hearing over the course of years?
The Mitome test that I developed tells you 1) if you need CoQ10 and 2) if there are any bottlenecks that CoQ10 itself would run into.
While you can try to figure this out on your own, it turns out to be very complicated. The mitochondrial respiratory chain is fueled by ten different nutritional cofactors, and some of these have incredibly complex synthetic routes. For example, iron and sulfur are the two nutritional components that make up the iron-sulfur clusters of the respiratory chain, but these are synthesized in a 19-step process involving many other nutritional co-factors. Overall the respiratory chain is fueled by 297 different genes, whose expression can be permanently impaired by genetic blocks but can also be powerfully influenced by your lifestyle, environment, and nutritional status.
The Mitome test doesn't just assess whether you need CoQ10; it also uses advanced pattern recognition to see what exactly could be blocking its ability to benefit you.
It then constructs a protocol for you that walks you through addressing each of the nutritional steps that can help remove bottlenecks and then places CoQ10 in the exact position within the order of your protocol where it is likely to benefit you without harming you.
Not everyone needs CoQ10. If Mitome doesn't put it in your protocol, it saves you a lifetime subscription to a $30-a-month product you don't even need.
This level of cellular precision is unmatched in longevity and represents the only scientifically validated approach to directly improve mitochondrial health—the cornerstone of biological aging. By addressing these specific pathways, you're targeting the fundamental processes that determine not just how you feel today, but your trajectory of aging for decades to come.
Welcome to the future of health.
