Zymes llc. CoQ10 is Required to Produce Energy (ATP)

CoQ₁₀ is Required to Produce Energy (ATP)

The primary role of coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) in humans is to produce energy by contributing to the manufacture of a small molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ¹ The cells of the body cannot use food directly for energy. The energy (calories) in food must be broken down (in a process called oxidation) into a form of energy small enough for the cells to use. That smallest form of energy is ATP.

ATP is made in the mitochondria, a cell structure referred to as the “powerhouse of the cell”. All cells, with the exception of red blood cells, have mitochondria. Muscle cells have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria because of the large amount of energy they need, whereas skin cells have fewer mitochondria because they expend less energy. The conversion of carbohydrates and fats from our diets into ATP requires the presence of coenzyme Q₁₀ within the mitochondrial membrane. Interestingly enough, the very processes that generate ATP in the mitochondria, also generate potentially harmful pro-oxidants (reactive oxygen species, free radicals). These pro-oxidants may contribute to the cell damage associated with aging and disease. The localization of coenzyme Q₁₀ in the mitochondria also allows it to act as an antioxidant, defusing these potentially harmful molecules. This process is described in detail at: antioxidant defenses.

ATP is required by every cell in the body to fuel bodily functions. Energy, harnessed from the food we eat, is stored in the chemical bonds that link the three phosphate groups of the ATP molecule, hence the term triphosphate. The largest amount of energy is stored in the bond between the outermost two phosphate groups. Coenzyme Q₁₀ is essential to the process of storing energy between these phosphate groups.¹ When energy is required by the body, the chemical bond between the outermost two phosphate groups is broken. Energy is released and available to use to fuel all the biochemical processes of the body.

Dr. Peter Mitchell received the 1978 Nobel Prize in chemistry in recognition of the importance of his discovery of the role of coenzyme Q₁₀ in the production of ATP.

References:

1. Crane FL. Biochemical functions of coenzyme Q₁₀: Absorption, tissue uptake, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics. Free Radic Res. 2006;40(5):445-453.

• Coenzyme Q₁₀
  • History of CoQ₁₀
  • What is CoQ₁₀?
  • Where Does CoQ₁₀ Come From?
    • CoQ₁₀ Biosynthesis
    • Dietary CoQ₁₀
    • CoQ₁₀ Can Be Taken as a Dietary Supplement
    • CoQ₁₀ Can Be Applied Topically to the Skin
  • What Does CoQ₁₀ Do?
    • CoQ₁₀ is Required to Produce Energy (ATP)
    • CoQ₁₀ is a Powerful Antioxidant
  • Lipid Solubility
• CoQ₁₀ and Health
  • CoQ₁₀ and Aging
  • CoQ₁₀ and Obesity
• CoQ₁₀ and Disease
  • CoQ₁₀ and Statin Therapy
  • CoQ₁₀ and Neurodegenerative Disease
  • CoQ₁₀ and Diabetes
• Become an Empowered, Educated Consumer
  • Anatomy of a Scientific Article
  • Understanding Statistics in Science and Medicine
  • Drug Discovery
  • How to Search the Scientific Literature
  • How to Find Out About Ongoing Clinical Trials
• Appendices
  • Glossary