Selenium and CoQ10 Linked With Reduced Risk of Death From Heart Disease

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. A new study-the first of its kind-suggests that daily supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and selenium could reduce the risk of death by heart disease.

The research was conducted at Karolinska Institutet and Linkoping University in Sweden. The findings were published on May 25, 2012, in the International Journal of Cardiology.

Initially, 443 mature adults between the ages of 70 and 88 were recruited to participate in the study. However, only 228 individuals completed the study.

For a period of 4 years, half of the group consumed 200 mg of CoQ10 and 200 mg of organic selenium or a placebo daily. At the conclusion of the study, 12.6% of the participants in the placebo group had died from cardiovascular disease. In comparison, only 5.9% of the people in the supplement group had died from cardiovascular disease.

This equates to a 6.7% reduced absolute risk of dying from cardiovascular disease for the supplement group.

Selenium is an essential nutrient with antioxidant properties. It is a building block for up to 100 different proteins in the human body. It can be found in Brazil nuts, mushrooms, pork and tuna.

Selenium is the only mineral that the FDA has approved for a qualified health claim for general cancer reduction incidence. In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer, selenium has been linked with regulating blood sugar and reducing the effects of aging.

CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that helps produces energy in the mitochondria of human cells. It has been linked with improved cognitive health and reversing the effects of aging.

After the age of 20 our bodies become less and less capable of naturally CoQ10. If you want to increase your CoQ10 intake, try adding oily fish, organ meats (such as liver, hearts, etc.), and whole grains to your diet. You might also consider a high quality, high potency supplement. Be sure to choose a supplement that is made with ubiquinol rather than ubiquinone.