FOODS CONTAINING CO ENZYME Q10

By Traci Vandermark

Coenzyme Q10 is an essential nutrient to overall health. The Linus Pauling Institute states that it helps prevent the buildup of bad cholesterol in the arteries, thus preventing heart disease; relaxes blood vessels to treat and prevent high blood pressure; and helps slow the progression of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's. While it is produced within the body, the Mayo Clinic reports that levels decrease as we age. To get more of this vital nutrient into your system, try eating foods that are natural sources.

Meats

Meats contain a high concentration of CoQ10. A report from Iowa State University lists beef, chicken and pork as all containing between 1.2 and 2.6 milligrams (mg) of CoQ10 in a three ounce serving, with beef containing the most at 2.6 mg per serving. Fish also contain higher levels of CoQ10. Marinated herring is listed by the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) as containing 2.3 mg per three ounce serving. Following herring is rainbow trout at 0.9 mg and salmon at 0.4 mg per three ounce serving.

Fruits and Vegetables

Certain fruits and vegetables also contain CoQ10, although in a much smaller concentration than meats. Vegetables have a slightly higher amount of CoQ10 than fruit does, with broccoli being the richest source listed by LPI, with a half cup of boiled broccoli containing 0.2 mg. Boiled cauliflower comes close to broccoli, with 0.4 mg in a half-cup serving. It is very important to note here that LPI states that when vegetables are fried, they lose a great deal of their CoQ10 content, but when they are boiled, they do not. While deep fried vegetables may be tasty, they lose their health benefits. The only fruits listed as sources of CoQ10 are strawberries and oranges. A half-cup serving of strawberries contains 0.1 mg, while one medium orange contains 0.3 to 0.4 mg.

Other Food Sources

There are a few other food sources of CoQ10: eggs, nuts and seeds, and oils. One boiled egg contains 0.1 mg, and while that may not seem like much, eggs also contain a high amount of vitamin E (1.4 mg, or 7 percent of the RDA, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture). The combination of vitamin E and CoQ10 is significant. A study published in the September 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when vitamin E and CoQ10 are taken together, they offer greater health benefits than when taken alone, such as the ability to reduce disease producing inflammation within the body. Nuts and seeds that are high in CoQ10 are pistachios, with 0.6 mg in a one ounce serving; roasted sesame seeds, with 0.7 mg in a one ounce serving; and roasted peanuts, with 0.8 mg in a one ounce serving. Oil sources are canola oil and soybean oil, with a range of 1.0 to 1.3 mg per serving.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Coenzyme Q10
• Iowa State University: Coenzyme Q10
• Linus Pauling Institute: Coenzyme Q10