Top 4 CoQ10 Foods to Try
CoQ10 foods are an important part of your everyday diet. Why? Ever heard about Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 foods, and wondered what it’s all about? We’ll address that in summary here. And we’ll give a couple of recommendations of CoQ10 foods that you should definitely try.
What is Coenzyme Q10?
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble nutrient that your body produces naturally and stores in the mitochondria of your cells. More specifically, CoQ10 is stored in the cells surrounding your vital organs, like your liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs.
What Does CoQ10 Do?
CoQ10 creates cellular energy and helps to protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals in the body. It is involved in the process of creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which helps with energy transfer inside the cells. Coenzyme Q10 also works as an antioxidant, protecting the cells from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals in the system.
CoQ10 has been linked to various benefits including, muscle function in exercise performance, help with diabetes, cancer prevention, generation of brain cells, fertility, and help with heart disease prevention.
<<Learn more about CoQ10 in the article, CoQ10: A Guide for Chubby People>>
CoQ10 Foods
A diet with foods rich in CoQ10 helps keep enough of it in your body, especially if your body isn’t making enough on its own. The body tends to produce less as we age. Lower Coenzyme Q10 production levels are also associated with certain health conditions like heart disease or those who take statins to lower cholesterol. Here are some foods that can help to build up CoQ10 so that you can enjoy the many health benefits it provides.
Fish is a rich CoQ10 Foods
Seafood, especially fish with higher fat content provides a good source of CoQ10. Specifically, mackerel has 6.75 mg per 100 g. Trout and sardines are also good sources of the enzyme.
CoQ10 Found in Meat
In humans, CoQ10 is concentrated in the cells around the vital organs of the body. This is also true of animals. Especially organ meats, like beef and chicken heart, and beef liver, are high in CoQ10 content.
Here’s a ranking of the top CoQ10 in meat (per 100 grams):
- Chicken liver 11.6 mg
- Beef heart 11.3 mg
- Chicken heart 9.2 mg
- Beef liver 3.9 mg
- Beef 3.1 mg
- Pork 2.4 mg
- Chicken 1.4 mg
Vegetables with CoQ10
Although meat has the highest concentration of the enzyme, vegetables can also be a source of CoQ10 consumption. Broccoli has the highest CoQ10 content right around 0.7 mg per 100 grams.
Soybeans and foods made with soy like milk, tofu, and yogurts are other sources of protein and CoQ10. Soybeans have 1.2 mg per 100 grams, whereas soy milk will typically have about 0.25 mg. Soybeans can be a good alternative source of CoQ10 for vegetarians or vegans who don’t eat meat.
Seeds and Nuts
A number of different nuts and seeds have CoQ10 sources. Some of the top nuts and seeds for CoQ10 concentration are peanuts at 2.6 mg, pistachios at 2 mg, and sesame seeds at 1.7 mg.
Other Sources of CoQ10
While you can get Coenzyme Q10 from your diet as a natural source, there are other ways to get a boost in your CoQ10. Many supplements contain high levels of the coenzyme to support your system as you get older. When shopping for CoQ10 vitamins and supplements, you’ll likely find a standard dosage of 100 mg – 500 mg per day. Some will be lower than that, others much higher. You may find supplements with up to 1,200 mg daily dosage.
As with all supplements and vitamins, consult your healthcare professional before taking any CoQ10 supplement.
Final Thoughts on CoQ10 Foods
Science has shown, through numerous studies, that CoQ10 is a great anti-oxidant and can help with a variety of ailments and diseases. As we age, our CoQ10 production levels decline, so it may be necessary to replenish those levels with diet and supplements. The foods rich in this enzyme are accessible and available for most of us, without much change to our diets. Maybe we eat more chicken hearts than we usually do or grab an extra bag of pistachios for the drive home from work.
Supplements are also a good way to boost your CoQ10 levels. Most are relatively inexpensive and available at stores or online retailers. More CoQ10 either through diet or supplements is a small price to pay for its potent anti-oxidant properties and other great health benefits.
