Recommended dose:

Adults: Take 2 delayed release capsules daily, one with the morning meal and one with the evening meal, or as directed by a health care practitioner.

Recommended use or purpose:

• Helps to maintain and / or support cardiovascular health.
• An antioxidant for the maintenance of good health.

Cautions and warnings:

• Consult a health care professional prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or are taking blood pressure medication or taking blood thinners.
• If seal around cap is broken or missing, do not use.

MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS:

Coenzyme Q10 (150 mg)

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), is a fat soluble anti-oxidant nutrient that is found in a variety of foods in relatively small quantities. The typical daily dietary intake ranges between 3-5 mg; mainly from meat, fish and poultry. ⁽¹⁾ The amounts provided from the diet are quite low and far from the amounts required for therapeutic effects.
CoQ10 is an integral component of oxidative phosphorylation. The mitochondria of cells require CoQ10 to convert energy from food into the main cellular fuel known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
CoQ10 may help the heart during times of stress by improving cardiac energy utilization. CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant due to its capacity to increase endogenous (internally produced) antioxidant enzymes and reduce lipid peroxidation (damage to lipids and fatty cell membranes).
Favourable modifications in plasma lipid concentrations are linked to the intake of CoQ10, thereby reducing potential risk.
Clinical evidence shows that supplemental intake of CoQ10 benefits conditions associated with cellular energy and antioxidant abnormalities (including mitochondrial encephalomyopathies, myoclonic epilepsy with lactic acidosis and stroke like episodes, Kearns-Sayre syndrome, etc.) and congestive heart failure.⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾ Improvements in blood pressure and protection from myocardial infarctions have also been associated with supplementation of CoQ10.⁽⁵⁾⁽⁶⁾

Preliminary evidence shows that CoQ10 may be beneficial for the management of diabetes; however, research is still warranted to confirm this effect.

Daily supplements of CoQ10 may boost antioxidant defences and reduce markers of oxidative stress in people with atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

According to a new study from Taiwan published in the October, 2011 edition of Nutrition titled “Coenzyme Q10 supplementation reduces oxidative stress and increase antioxidant enzyme activity in patients with coronary artery disease”.

The authors reported: “A daily CoQ10 dose of 150 mg was associated with 29% lower levels of malon-dialdehyde (MDA - a reactive carbonyl compound and a well-established marker of oxidative stress) after eight weeks, compared with the placebo group”.

MOLECULAR EVENTS UNDERLYING INFERTILITY

Dr. Robert Casper, Senior Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and Medical Director of the Toronto Centre for Advanced Reproductive Technology (TCART) and Dr. Andrea Jurisicova, Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Toronto are investigating the process of mitochondrial activity in oocytes of older females.

By studying the quality of oocytes (in an animal model) in older versus younger mothers, the duo has found that mitochondria, the energy-producing power stations of cells, become less metabolically active with age, putting the offspring at greater risk of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome, and predisposing them to diabetes.

Administration of coenzyme Q10—a vitamin-like substance found in mitochondria—can reverse the effects of mitochondrial changes in oocytes, improve fertility, and perhaps reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities.

“Supplementing the diet with Coenzyme Q10 appears to enhance mitochondrial activity and boost the quality of oocytes,” says Dr. Casper.

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PPQ) (20 mg)

PQQ: A Breakthrough in Cellular Anti-Ageing⁽¹²⁾

PQQ is ubiquitous in the natural world. Its presence in interstellar stardust has led some experts to hypothesize a pivotal role for PQQ in the evolution of life on Earth It has been found in all plant species tested to date. Neither humans nor the bacteria that colonize the human digestive tract have demonstrated the ability to synthesize it.⁽¹⁾⁽⁹⁾ This has led researchers to classify PQQ as an essential micronutrient.

PQQ’s potential to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis was foreshadowed by repeated early findings indicating its central role in growth and development across multiple forms of life.

It has been shown to be a potent growth factor in plants, bacteria, and higher organisms. Pre-clinical studies reveal that when deprived of dietary PQQ, animals exhibit stunted growth, compromised immunity, impaired reproductive capability, and most importantly, fewer mitochondria in their tissue. Rates of conception, the number of offspring, and survival rates in juvenile animals are also significantly reduced in the absence of PQQ. Introducing PQQ back into the diet reverses these effects, restoring systemic function while simultaneously increasing mitochondrial number and energetic efficiency.

Optimal Mitochondrial Defense

As the primary engines of almost all bio-energy production, the mitochondria rank among the physiological structures most vulnerable to destruction from oxidative damage. PQQ’s formidable free radical–scavenging capacity furnishes the mitochondria with superior antioxidant protection.

At the core of this capacity is an extraordinary molecular stability. As a bioactive coenzyme, PQQ actively participates in the energy transfer within the mitochondria that supplies the body with most of its bio-energy (like CoQ10).

Unlike other antioxidant compounds, PQQ’s exceptional stability allows it to carry out thousands of these electron transfers without undergoing molecular breakdown. It has been proven especially effective in neutralizing the ubiquitous superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. According to the most recent research, “PQQ is 30 to 5,000 times more efficient in sustaining redox cycling (mitochondrial energy production) . . . than other common [antioxidant compounds], e.g. ascorbic acid. A consistent finding in the scientific literature is that nutrients like PQQ provide more wide-ranging benefits than conventional antioxidants the general public relies on.

Anti-Aging Armour for the Most Energy-Intensive Organs

PQQ’s dual capacity as a cell signaling modulator and a superior antioxidant renders it optimally effective in combating degenerative disease and age-related declines in the body’s most energetic organs: the heart and brain.

The revelation of its ability to favourably affect system-wide cell development, metabolism, and mitochondrial biogenesis affords an explanation for a wealth of data on its neuroprotective and cardio protective benefits.

Summary

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been definitively linked to virtually all killer diseases of ageing, from Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes to heart failure.

Researchers have recorded evidence of greater mitochondrial damage in the brain cells of humans over 70 compared to those in their early 40s. The health and function of these cellular energy generators is now considered so vital that many scientists believe mitochondrial longevity determines overall longevity in ageing humans.

In a revolutionary advance, an essential coenzyme called Pyrroloquinoline Quinone or PQQ has been shown to induce mitochondrial biogenesis—the growth of new mitochondria in ageing cells!

While CoQ10 optimizes mitochondrial function, PQQ activates genes that govern mitochondrial reproduction, protection, and repair. PQQ also affords potent cardio protection and optimal defense against neuronal degeneration. Published studies show that 20 mg of PQQ plus 300 mg of CoQ10 may reverse age-related cognitive decline in ageing humans.

Pyridoxyl-5'-Phosphate (10 mg)

Pyridoxyl-5'-Phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6 is included because it further enhances plasma concentrations of CoQ10. PLP is essential to the endogenous (internal) synthesis of CoQ10.
It is known that the endogenous bio-synthesis of CoQ10 from the precursor tyrosine is dependent on adequate PLP levels. Research has found that individuals with low plasma CoQ10 status are also low in plasma PLP.⁽¹⁾

Supplemental intake of CoQ10 formulated with phosphatidylcholine and PLP will enhance plasma concentrations of CoQ10 thereby improving its therapeutic action.

Phosphatidylcholine (800 mg)

A more effective delivery system (release in the small intestine) includes the use of fat soluble emulsifying agents such as phosphatidylcholine to increase the bio-availability of CoQ10.
It was demonstrated that the bio-availability of sitostanol, a phytosterol compound, was increased when formulated with lecithin.⁽¹⁰⁾
Another study showed that absorption of the fat soluble carotenoid lycopene was enhanced with the enteral administration of phosphatidylcholine.⁽¹¹⁾

Bioavailability

Given the therapeutic potential of CoQ10 and PQQ, supplemental forms are being explored for maximum bioavailability. Typical pre-supplemental plasma concentrations of CoQ10 in healthy adults range between 0.50-0.52 micrograms/ml. Three months of supplemental intake (120 mg daily) can potentially elevate these levels three fold.⁽⁸⁾

References:

1. Weber C et al. Coenzyme Q10 in the Diet- Daily Intake and Relative Bioavailability. Mol Aspects Med. 1997; 18 Suppl: S251-4.
2. Modi K et al. Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Catalase Activity and Other Antioxidant Parameters in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats. Biol Trac Elem Res. 2006 Jan; 109(1):25-34.
3. Chan A et al. Metabolic Changes in Patients with Mitochondrial Myopathies and Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Therapy. J Neurol. 1998 Oct; 245(10):681-5.
4. Hofman-Bang et al. Coenzyme Q10 as an Adjunctive in the Treatment of Chronic Congestive Heart Failure. The Q10 Study Group. J Card Fail. 1995 Mar; 1(2): 101-7.
5. Singh RB et al. Effect of Hydrosoluble Coenzyme Q10 on Blood Pressures and Insulin Resistance in Hypertensive Patients with Coronary Artery Disease. J Hum Hypertens. 1999 Mar; 13(3): 203-8.
6. Singh RB et al. Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Risk of Atherosclerosis in Patients with Recent Myocardial Infarction. Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Apr; 246(1-2): 75-82.
7. Weis M et al. Bioavailability of Four Oral Coenzyme Q10 Formulations in Healthy Volunteers. Mol Aspects Med. 1994; 15 Suppl: s273-80.
8. Chopra RK et al. Relative Bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10 Formulations in Human Subjects. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1998; 68(2):109-13. Shils ME and Young VR. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Lea and Febiger. 988.
9. Richard EO et al. Sitostanol Administered in Lecithin Micelles Potently Reduces Cholesterol Absorption in Humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 70(5): 826-831.
10. Nishimukai M and Hara H. Enteral Administration of Soybean Phosphatidylcholine Enhances the Lymphatic Absorption of Lycopene, but Reduces That of Alpha-Tocopherol in Rats. J Nutr; 2004; Aug; 134(8): 1862-6.
11. Willis R et al. Clinical Implications of the Correlation Between Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin B6 Status. Biofactors. 1999; 9(2-4):359-63.
12. Life Extension Magazine February 2011.

DRcaps Improve Absorption

Vitex’s Cardio Boost formula is provided in the new DRcaps; DRcaps technology enables the enzyme to pass through the stomach unchanged, and be absorbed in the small intestine.
DRcaps have many advantages over the traditional enteric coating of tablets and capsules. This new technology eliminates the costly enteric coating process which requires the use of solvents and heat which can have destructive effect on the active ingredients in the formula.
DRcaps are resistant to moisture and provide a more precise and consistent dissolution rate compared to traditional enteric coated capsules or tablets.

Bio-availability Co-factors

The fat soluble nature of CoQ10 requires dietary fat to promote its absorption. Lipids associated with fat soluble nutrients induce the release of bile and promote emulsification (micelle suspensions) to facilitate absorption via the small intestine.9
A recent study shows that CoQ10 in an oil suspension gave better bio-availability; likely due to its fat soluble nature.7
Naturally occurring emulsifiers, such as phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) are known to support this process.
DRcaps, plus the combination of nutrients in this formula makes it the most bio-available form of CoQ10 available.
In addition, this combination of nutrients may also help reduce the levels of plasma homocysteine (an independent marker for cardiovascular disease risk), since PLP and phosphatidylcholine support the methylation pathways responsible for lowering homocysteine levels.

What is heart disease?

Your heart is a muscle that gets energy from blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. Having a constant supply of blood keeps your heart working properly. Most people think of heart disease as one condition. But in fact, heart disease is a group of conditions affecting the structure and functions of the heart and has many root causes. Coronary artery disease, for example, develops when a combination of fatty materials, calcium and scar tissue (called plaque) builds up in the arteries that supply blood to your heart (coronary arteries). The plaque buildup narrows the arteries and prevents the heart from getting enough blood.

How can I prevent heart disease?

Heart disease is preventable and manageable.

Your best defense is controlling the risk factors that could lead to coronary artery disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and being overweight.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a heart condition, there are treatments to help you manage your illness. You can further reduce your risk by considering these heart-healthy steps:

• Be smoke-free.
• Be physically active.
• Know and control your blood pressure.
• Eat a healthy diet that is lower in fat, especially saturated and trans fat.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Manage your diabetes.
• Limit alcohol use.
• Reduce stress.
• Visit your doctor regularly and follow your doctor’s advice.

Nutraceuticals to assist the body.

Cardio Boost – supplies Coenzyme Q10 to supply energy to the heart muscle + PQQ to generate new mitochondria to provide even more energy to the heart muscle.
Serrapeptase – reduces inflammation and helps prevent plaque buildup.
Vegan Health Pac – Provides optimum levels of all essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes + GLA & DHA to maintain good health including cardiovascular, immune and cognitive function.