Ubiquinol and Stress & Anxiety
Ubiquinol is often associated with heart health, which is 100% accurate. Ubiquinol excels at aiding cellular energy production. “In addition to its critical role in energy production, it is one of the most powerful known lipid-soluble antioxidants available, protecting the body’s cells from damage caused by oxidative stress and free radicals.”
One study on severe life stress and oxidative stress on the brain said, “Numerous studies have attempted to understand how the central nervous system (CNS) responds to [chronic stress]. This response includes a variety of morphological and neurochemical modifications; among them, oxidative stress is almost invariably observed.”
Your body has multiple ways to combat stress, but the problem is they grow less efficient with age. Part of it is the natural aging process. The other part of it is the toll life often takes on our bodies. This means you absolutely need to take a nutritional approach to combating stress and anxiety.
Chances are your body isn’t producing enough ubiquinol and you’re feeling it both emotionally and physically.
Ubiquinol as a Natural Antidepressant
Do a little research on ubiquinol and it will be commonly referred to as CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone. Your body takes ubiquinone and converts it to ubiquinol for use, and much research has been performed on the benefits of CoQ10 as ubiquinone.
In a 2013 paper in the journal Pharmacological Biochemical Behavior, Dr. Aboul-Fotouh showed “antidepressant-like” activity in rats treated with a heavy regimen of CoQ10. Dr. Aboul-Fotouh knew that depression is accompanied by oxidative stress and a compromised ability to produce antioxidants.
Now, imagine taking the conversion step from ubiquinone to ubiquinol, therefore taking away a lot of the work from an already stressed body and instead providing a nutrient in a readily bioavailable form. The above research would probably show an even greater response.
A 2016 article in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience examined the effect of adding CoQ10 supplementation for treating fatigue and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis.3 A group of 48 patients with multiple sclerosis were randomized to receive either a placebo or 500 mg of a CoQ10 supplement daily for 12 weeks.
Over the course of the study, patients taking CoQ10 showed a decrease in fatigue and depression, while the placebo group showed an increase in symptoms. The researchers concluded that CoQ10 may be beneficial in helping treat mood issues that often accompany multiple sclerosis.
A more recent 2018 article in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology examined the effectiveness of CoQ10 supplementation in treating the depression cycle in bipolar disorder, which may be linked to oxidative stress.
A group of 69 patients with bipolar disorder, and who were undergoing a depressive episode, were randomized to receive either 200 mg per day of a CoQ10 supplement or a placebo for eight weeks. Any mood stabilizing medications remained the same for the duration of the study.
Patients in both groups showed a decrease in symptoms of depression over time, but the group taking CoQ10 showed better response at the end of eight weeks of treatment.
Ubiquinol is found in every cell of your body. When you have a tired and stressed body, it’s going to struggle to convert CoQ10 into ubiquinol, makes you feel even more tired. When you supplement with the readily bioavailable form, you also get a healthy dose of disease-fighting and anti-aging antioxidants.
More recent research appears to show that this antioxidant benefit may also help improve symptoms of mood disorders.
Ubiquinol and Headaches
Stress and anxiety tend to cause headaches, even migraines. Abnormal mitochondrial function can lead to an increased calcium uptake by the cells. This leads to the excessive production of free radicals and decreased antioxidant protection, thus causing low energy in brain cells and even migraines.
Since CoQ10 lives mainly in the mitochondria of the cells, it has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and help decrease the inflammation that may occur during migraines. A study showed that supplementing with CoQ10 was three times more likely than a placebo to reduce the number of migraines in 42 people.
One larger study showed that 1,550 people with low CoQ10 levels experienced fewer and less severe headaches after treatment with CoQ10.
Again, imagine if these studies were done with ubiquinol...
Dr. Harris’s Essential Ubiquinol
Ubiquinol plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular health. Essential Ubiquinol is a highly bioavailable form of this nutrient and is paired with an active form of CoQ10 for proper cardiovascular support and protection from oxidative stress. This may be the nutritional aid your body needs to find relief from stress and anxiety.