The Most Beneficial Health Supplement You've Probably Never Heard Of--CoQ10!

Most people are confused and bewildered about what supplements they should be taking as part of a healthy lifestyle change like livin' la vida low-carb. We all know the benefits of a solid multivitamin as part of your daily nutritional routine. But what else can we take to help improve our health while losing and then maintaining our weight?

I've shared a few of the specific supplements I take on a daily basis in this YouTube video as well as this blog post. But there is one that you may not have heard much about because quite frankly the medical industry doesn't want you to know there's an over-the-counter dietary supplement that will replace some very expensive prescription drugs you may be taking. It's called CoQ10.

CoQ10 stands for Co-enzyme Q10 and is as crucial for protecting your body against heart disease, cancer, AIDS, hypertension, muscular dystrophy, brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as memory loss as anything else you could take. Heck, it's even good for your gums, too! Although the benefits of taking CoQ10 as regular part of your healthy routine are well-known overseas, doctors here in the United States, including cardiologists who are supposed to be treating heart health ailments, have downplayed its importance because there's no money in promoting something that could replace many of the most bestselling drugs available today.

It's kinda like our cherished low-carb lifestyle. Most doctors frown and turn their nose up at the use of low-carb diets for weight loss because of its alleged dangers. But then when someone starts using it and the weight comes pouring off, A1C numbers drop, HDL "good" cholesterol rises, triglycerides plummet, and all the other excellent health benefits of eating this way kick in, there's little a doctor can say in reaction to these results. Even still, some doctors decry these improvements as a fluke and that continuing to eat this way long-term will cause damage. WHATEVER!

So you think you might wanna be a rebel and start taking CoQ10 anyway despite any objections from your doc, eh? Here are six reasons why you should consider this small, but incredible investment (and, yes, CoQ10 is a bit pricey, but well worth it for the benefits you receive) in the future of your health:

1. It naturally lowers your blood pressure.

This is something that I was so pleased to know about CoQ10 because I had been taking blood pressure medicine prior to my low-carb lifestyle and taking supplements. Within a few months of taking CoQ10, I started blacking out when I stood up. It was the weirdest thing and I couldn't figure out what was happening. When I went to the doctor about it, he said my blood pressure was TOO LOW with the medication, so I'd have to stop taking it. WOO HOO! CoQ10 was doing the trick for managing my blood pressure. In fact, this University of Texas study found that over HALF of patients with high blood pressure were able to reduce or eliminate their need for blood pressure drugs after just one month of taking CoQ10. AMAZING!

2. Destroy cell-damaging free radicals.

CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant (it comes in 100mg, 200mg, 300mg, and 400mg--I personally use either 300mg or 400mg) and should be replenished in your body on a daily basis for the protection of your heart, brain, kidneys, and liver from the damage that can be caused by the existence of free radicals. Think of CoQ10 as the "premium grade" of gasoline for your car helping it to run as smoothly as possible.

3. Reduces oxidized fat that leads to clogged arteries.

While limiting your carbohydrate intake is certainly protective for the heart while on the low-carb lifestyle, you still want to limit the creation of arteriosclerosis that happens when fatty deposits begin to fill up in the blood vessels. CoQ10 helps to prevent this by preventing the oxidation of fat cells from happening.

4. Alleviates major heart health risk factors.

If you have heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), or hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), then taking CoQ10 on a daily basis can give you relief from these conditions and quite possibly improve them! Why wouldn't you want to do that?

5. Improves pain felt by chronic stable angina patients.

For those people with chronic stable angina, CoQ10 gives them the necessary relief from chest pains and the ability to perform certain cardiovascular exercise to improve their health health.

6. Regulates the rhythm of your heart rate.

Having a steady heartbeat gives you peace of mind about the state of your heart health. If CoQ10 can help manage a fluttering heart, then everyone who has one should be taking this supplement!

Interestingly, did you know the dangerous cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor, Crestor, and Zetia actually ROBS THE BODY of CoQ10? Yep, that's a dirty little secret you won't be hearing in all those cutesy little commercials on television about these awful prescription medicines. And when one company attempted to supplement the statin with some extra CoQ10, they decided not to do it since they feared it would cut into the sales of their statin drugs if the word got out about the CoQ10 depletion. INCREDIBLE!

As you can see, CoQ10 is an important supplement for creating energy and to help your mitochondria function (where you get your energy from!) the way it is supposed to. Taking this supplement daily will keep your cells youthful and vibrant for many years to come! Be sure to keep your fat intake up when you are taking CoQ10 since it is a fat-soluble nutrient. But you're already doing that, of course, since you're livin' la vida low-carb!

Regardless of your current health, I think everyone should be taking this supplement now to prevent any possible ailments that may come in the future. You won't hear your doctor or pharmacist touting CoQ10, but it very well could be the most beneficial supplement you've never heard of.