Coenzyme Q10 Good for Your Mouth - Good for Your Health

What do periodontal (Gum) disease, obesity and congestive heart failure have in common? Often, it's a deficiency of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Found naturally in certain foods and similar to a vitamin, CoQ10 is produced by the human body and found in every cell. It is essential for transforming fats and carbohydrates into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) - the energy for each cell to carry out its functions and the energy with which the body runs. Generally, CoQ10 boosts energy, enhances the immune system and acts as an antioxidant.

As one ages, the amount of CoQ10 produced in the body decreases. The level of CoQ10 in human organs peaks around age 20 and then declines rather rapidly. Many researches believe that older individuals and people engaged in vigorous exercise may be deficient in CoQ10 and would benefit from supplementation.

Gum disease, which begins as gingivitis [localized inflammation] and could progress to periodontitis [loss of bone and/or teeth], is very common in the United States. Tissue affected by gingivitis has been found to be deficient in CoQ10 and experiments have demonstrated that supplementation with as little as 50Mg/day can decrease inflammation and improve periodontal health. Supplementing your diet daily with CoQ10 takes several weeks of administration before positive effects are noticeable.

Recent studies have shown that topical application of CoQ10, dissolved in soy oil, into a periodontal pocket [bone loss] reduced bleeding and the depth of the pocket. The conclusion of a study in 1994 [Department of Preventive Dentistry, Osaka University Faculty of Dentistry, Japan] was that not only did topical application of CoQ10 improve adult periodontitis as the sole treatment, but it was also extremely effective in combination with traditional nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Call our office for more information on supplementation for prevention and wellness.