Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common diseases of the nervous system in the elderly and often results in severe sensory disabilities. However, antioxidative coenzyme Q10 may be able to stop the progression of the disease.
When people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, there is usually a gradual decline. The loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain leads to the slow progression of degenerative processes, which can go unnoticed for years. In Germany around 300,000 people are affected, and in Austria and Switzerland there are around 15,000.
Not the cause, only the symptoms are treatable.
The first relatively unspecific symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are general performance reduction, depression, chronic constipation, or disorders regarding the sense of smell and taste. At an advanced stage, the patients usually suffer from movement disorders (akinesia), muscle stiffness (rigor), or involuntary tremor at rest.
To date, only symptomatic treatment is possible for Parkinson’s disease. In addition to early physiotherapy and occupational therapy, the activating measures include sports training such as Tai Chi. According to an American study involving 195 Parkinson’s patients, these activities are able to improve balance and reduce falls.
Energy metabolism disturbed
In most patients, the disease is multifactorial, which means that genetic changes also play a role, in addition to lifestyle, and environmental factors. These can lead to a disturbance of the energy metabolism in the mitochondria – the “power stations” of our cells.
Coenzyme Q10 makes free radicals harmless
Studies are therefore repeatedly focusing on coenzyme Q10 (CoE Q10) – an endogenous molecule and antioxidant that is an essential component of cellular respiration in almost every cell in the body.
CoE Q10 can be consumed by eating meat, fatty fish such as mackerel or sardines, and eggs. Its antioxidant effect helps to eliminate free radicals that could otherwise damage the organism.
However, the ability to produce the body’s own coenzyme Q10 decreases with age. Further details on the coenzyme Q10 and its applications can be found here.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease had a deficiency of coenzyme Q10 much more frequently.
CoE-Q10 deficiency in Parkinson’s disease?
In a study by the alternative medicine Bastyr University Research Institute in Washington, the antioxidative status of Parkinson’s patients was investigated for four years and compared with that of control groups according to age and gender.
It was discovered that the probability of suffering from coenzyme Q10 deficiency was significantly higher in Parkinson’s patients than in the control group. In addition, coenzyme Q10 deficiency was more frequently observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease. These striking observations did not occur with other antioxidants such as vitamin E, alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione, or selenium.
The researchers concluded that a deficiency of CoE Q10 could be a potential peripheral biomarker that provides information on the antioxidative status of Parkinson’s patients. According to the study, it is also likely that patients with Parkinson’s disease have an increased need for CoE Q10.
With regard to the question whether patients with Parkinson’s disease benefit from a targeted substitution with CoE Q10, various studies come to different, sometimes contradictory results.
Patients treated with coenzyme Q10 developed weaker Parkinson’s symptoms than the placebo group.
Weaker Parkinson’s symptoms due to CoE Q10
One example comes from an American study of 80 early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients who had not received drug therapy to treat their disease. This study showed that patients who were substituted with coenzyme Q10 (300 mg, 600 mg or 1,200 mg per day) had weaker Parkinson’s disease symptoms than those who were given only placebo.
The greatest benefit was seen in those patients who received the highest dose of CoE Q10. According to this study, the administration of up to 1,200 mg coenzyme Q10 daily is safe and well tolerated and appears to have a positive effect regarding the treatment of the disease.
Further studies with more patients will be the goal of research to prove this positive effect and provide a dosage recommendation. Although there is no officially established reference value, according to the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, only products that meet the daily consumption requirements of the food industry may be sold in Germany.
