CoQ10: What it really works for

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Your Health Redesigned.

I’m Dr. Gina, and today we’re diving into CoQ10, which, honestly, I know you’ve seen plastered all over: pharmacies, health food shops, even supermarkets, but the thing is, what is it actually doing in our bodies? So let me kind of break this down using an analogy that works for almost everyone.

CoQ10 is like the spark plug for your cells. Seriously. Just like a spark plug fires up your car engine, CoQ10 gives your cells the initial jolt they need to turn whatever you eat into real, usable energy: ATP. That’s happening all the time, everywhere inside us.

Now, here’s why it’s so central:

CoQ10’s main home is the mitochondria—our cells’ powerhouses. That’s where food becomes ATP, and ATP powers everything we do, from thinking to sprinting to, just getting up in the morning.

Second, it’s a fat-soluble antioxidant our body actually makes for itself, so it helps protect our cells from damage.

And lastly, CoQ10 it’s everywhere, in basically every cell, but it’s especially packed into our most energy-hungry parts: heart, liver, and kidneys.

So if CoQ10 is this essential spark, what happens if the spark starts to dim?

Here’s where it gets interesting, and maybe a little concerning. Our bodies naturally make CoQ10, but as we get older, that production just drops off. I mean, like most things, aging is a major culprit. But that’s not all: certain meds, especially statins, which millions of people are on to lower cholesterol, actually lower your internal CoQ10 levels too.

Then you’ve got rare genetic conditions, chronic illnesses, and even just periods when your body’s under major stress; they can all cause your levels to take a dip

Now, what does that mean? Cells with low CoQ10 can’t make energy efficiently, and that, believe me, shows up as fatigue, muscle weakness, sometimes even more serious health annoyances. I mean, think of it like your car’s engine misfiring because the spark plug’s worn out, it starts to sputter, it can’t keep up.

Let me walk you through a pretty common scenario I see with patients. Let’s say a patient starts statin therapy, right? The idea is to bring down their cholesterol so we’re preventing heart issues later, but after a while, they start feeling this muscle fatigue—like heavy legs, tiredness even when doing stuff that used to be easy. They ask me, “Doc, is this the statin?” And it usually is. That’s when the CoQ10 conversation pops up. Is supplementation worth a shot? Only in certain cases, but we’ll get to that science in a bit.

So, naturally, the big question is: if our levels drop, can we just take a CoQ10 pill and problem solved? Well, not so fast. The science there is, honestly, pretty specific. The strongest evidence is for a couple of things:

Migraine prevention. Clinical studies back it up: people taking CoQ10 actually get fewer migraine attacks and they’re usually not as severe or as long.

Statin Induced Myopathy: The same thing shows up with statin-induced muscle fatigue—like we discussed with that patient story—.

Fibromyalgia-related fatigue.

Heart Failure and Coronary Heart Disease to preserve heart health.

Those are the standout science and Clinical Trials have been able to confirm. Period.

The Reality Check: It’s not some super pill for everything.

If you’re healthy and just hoping for an overall energy boost, the evidence just isn’t there. And when we look at big neurodegenerative diseases—think Parkinson’s, Huntington’s—the clinical trials are pretty underwhelming. With Huntington’s, huge studies have shown basically zero benefit. For Parkinson’s, it’s a mixed bag at best.

As for me, I gotta be honest, there was a time during my ER physician phase—I was exhausted, just running on empty—when I thought, “Should I try CoQ10 too?” But, true to form, I dove into the research, and the more I read, the more I realized: unless you’ve got a specific issue like migraines or you’re on statins, you probably won’t feel a difference. So I stuck with sleep, food, and maybe—okay, definitely—some kitchen dance parties to recharge.

The bottom line? CoQ10 is absolutely crucial for making energy inside our cells. The supplement has clear benefits, but only for a narrow set of problems—migraine, statin fatigue, fibromyalgia, and heart health. For the rest of us, especially if you’re already healthy, it’s not the magic answer. And you know, as research continues, maybe we’ll learn more about its role in aging and cellular resilience. For now, I’ll say—take care of your body, eat, exercise, and sleep well. Until next time.

Gina.