Can CoQ10 improve Egg Quality?
It all comes down to ATP – aka energy! ATP is created by an organelle called the mitochondria which is present in all of our bodily cells. From what we understand, our ATP decreases with age which can be a cause of our reproductive decline as our cells age.
How does CoQ10 play a role?
CoQ10 is a compound that is produced by the body in order to help the mighty mitochondria generate ATP – i.e. cellular energy. CoQ10 acts as a powerful antioxidant for the cells which is why it can prevent cellular aging. Depending on our age, lifestyle and constitution, we can be deficient in our naturally occurring CoQ10. Many foods naturally have CoQ10 such as organ meats, dark leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach), nuts, seafood, and meat though it may be best to supplement to get a sufficient amount.
Because CoQ10 plays such an important role in increasing ATP in the mitochondria, it can directly influence an increase in egg quality. Just to give you a clear picture, an average healthy cell in the body needs 1000-2000 mitochondria to function properly, an ovum or an egg needs about 300,000! Eggs that are considered poor quality will have a lower amount of mitochondria.
This just shows how much energy the egg needs in order to become an embryo. It is everything in fertility because even if a lower quality egg does fertilize it can lead to an early miscarriage because it did not start off sufficiently charged. That’s where CoQ10 comes into play. Because it has a key role of increasing cellular energy it not only helps fertility but it also helps overall cellular health in the whole body.
Key points to keep in mind when taking CoQ10 supplements. There are two types of CoQ10 and they are called Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the final state in which CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant in the cells. So this would be the more potent and pricier version of CoQ10. Since it’s more potent though you will be able to take less amount for the same effect as you would Ubiquinone.
Another point to mention is that although this information is about how CoQ10 can affect egg quality, it is also beneficial for increasing sperm quality as well.
Recommended books on this topic:
Your Mitochondria: Key to Health and Longevity by Warren Cargal