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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

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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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