General points concerning Q10 and Lipoic acid More Information
Alpha lipoic acid
- is absorbed from the small intestine and distributed to the liver via the portal circulation and to various tissues in the body via the systemic circulation.
- readily crosses the blood-brain barrier.
- has been shown to increase ATP production and aortic blood flow enhancing energy production
Q10
- supplemental CoQ10 may have cardioprotective(heart), cytoprotective(cellular) and neuroprotective(nerve) activities.
- CoQ10 is biosynthesized in the body and shares a common synthetic pathway with cholesterol ie reducing cholesterol also reduces Q10.
- CoQ10 levels decrease with aging in humans -why this occurs is not known but may be due to decreased synthesis and/or increased lipid peroxidation(oxidation of fat – a cause of blockage in blood vessels) which occurs with aging.
- CoQ10 is absorbed from the small intestine into the lymphatics(the waste recycling system); from there it enters the blood.
- absorption of CoQ10 is poor. Well over 60% of an oral dose is excreted in the feces.
- absorption of CoQ10 is highly variable and depends not only on food intake but also on the amount of lipids(fat) present in the food.
- absorption is lower on an empty stomach and greater when taken with food of high lipid(fat) content.
