Posted Feb 7, 2012: Choosing to eat a traditional Mediterranean-style diet for its positive effects on heart health and healthy aging goes hand-in-hand with supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (coQ10), according to additional evidence from researchers at the University of Córdoba, Spain.
A year ago, the researchers reported that supplementing a Mediterranean diet with coQ10 provided greater antioxidant protection and could help slow aging (1). Now in their latest study, they report that the combination also reduces expression of genetic pathways involved in causing stress on cells—more precisely, on the organelle known as the endoplasmic reticulum (2).
The new crossover study randomly assigned older men and women to receive either a Mediterranean diet alone, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 200 milligrams of coQ10 daily, or a Western diet rich in saturated fat. The researchers evaluated inflammatory and stress markers of the participants while on each of the diets.
The results, published in the Journal of Gerontology, showed that coQ10 improved the Mediterranean diet’s positive benefits for the elderly subjects. They wrote, “the consumption of a Med [Mediterranean] diet supplemented with CoQ [coQ10] is beneficial for healthy aging of individuals.”
Inflammation in the body is known to be a culprit in reduced health and accelerated aging, and it starts in the body’s cells. A component of cells that can contribute is the endoplasmic reticulum. Normally serving a multitude of normal functions in the cell, the endoplasmic reticulum, when overworked, releases major inflammatory and stress signals.
This is where antioxidants such as coQ10 step in. Acting in the mitochondria, coQ10 plays a major role in producing energy and resisting stress in cells. CoQ10′s antioxidant and stress-protective effects augments those of the Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean-style Isagenix System
Rich in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, whole grains, fish, and monounsaturated fats from olive oil, the traditional Mediterranean-style diet has been long admired for its positive effects on heart health and healthy aging.
Elements of Mediterranean-style eating are found easily in an Isagenix system. For example, the primary source of fat in IsaLean Shake is olive oil and several products contain antioxidant-rich herbs and spices. The system also emphasizes healthy eating with 400- to 600-calorie meals consisting of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
When Ageless Essentials Daily Pack is included in an Isagenix system (as in this one), consumers can reap the benefits of 100 milligrams of patent-pending coQ10 formulated for high absorption (found in the Ageless Actives softgels). The A.M. and P.M. packets also provide concentrated fish oil, grape skin extract, resveratrol (a compound found in red wine), and vitamins and minerals.
References
1. Yubero-Serrano EM, Delgado-Casado N, Delgado-Lista J et al. Postprandial antioxidant effect of the Mediterranean diet supplemented with coenzyme Q10 in elderly men and women. Age (Dordr ) 2011;33:579-90. doi:10.1007/s11357-010-9199-8
2. Yubero-Serrano EM, Gonzalez-Guardia L, Rangel-Zuniga O et al. Mediterranean diet supplemented with coenzyme q10 modifies the expression of proinflammatory and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes in elderly men and women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2012;67:3-10. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glr167
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