A recent study confirms that supplementation with antioxidants including coenzyme Q10 benefits patients with aggressive late-stage cancer, improving overall wellbeing and lengthening survival time.
A 2009 pilot study reported in The Journal of International Medical Research looked at the effects of a regimen of antioxidant supplements, including 300 mg per day of CoQ10, in group of 41 terminal cancer patients.
Though the authors of the study stressed that additional research is called for, their research findings concluded that taking antioxidant supplements in addition to ongoing traditional treatment increased the life expectancy of the patients. In addition, they noted that there appeared to be a general and easily observable improvement in overall well-being among the patients taking the antioxidant supplements
The study also found that the sooner antioxidant therapy was started, the more profound its effects. The median survival time of participants who started antioxidant therapy within six weeks of diagnosis was seven months, while those who began antioxidant treatment later had a median survival time of just one and half months.
Antioxidants' ability to prevent, repair, and in some cases even reverse free radical damage is believed to be the crucial factor. Chemically imbalanced molecules produced as byproducts of the natural process of cellular oxidation, free radicals scavenge and damage the cells with which they interact. Free radical damage is associated with scores of diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and almost all age-related diseases.
Antioxidants like coemzyme Q10 can stabilize free radicals, neutralizing their damage potential. It is also believed that in some situations, antioxidants can substantially reduce existing free radical damage including inflammation and cellular breakdown.
However, CoQ10 plays a unique role in the process because in addition to being a powerful antioxidant, it is also a crucial factor in the production of energy at the cellular level. A natural substance produced by the body and found in every cell, the coenzyme serves as a "messenger link" in the cellular mitochondria, triggering the biochemical reactions that lead to the production of energy.
Coenzyme Q10 is known to boost immune system function, which in turn reduces inflammation and increases cellular resistance to injury.
Research indicates that low levels of the coenzyme are strongly associated with cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head/neck. Numerous studies, including several clinical trials, have suggested that CoQ10 shows excellent potential as a therapy in the treatment of various types of cancer.
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