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totalhealth’s Special Report
Obesity, Weight Loss and Glucose Control
Coenzyme Q10
by Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
As the director of a weight loss clinic at
Manchester Memorial Hospital several years
ago, I was impressed that many men and
women would lose significant quantities of
weight only to be stuck at a level where
weight reduction became almost impossible.
During these periods it seemed that the
patients needed an additional boost not only
psychologically but nutritionally as well. In
these situations I recommended higher doses
of targeted nutritionals such as Coenzyme
Q10 and, in several cases, significant reductions
in weight loss were then realized.
Phyllis, a 57-year-old woman, came to
our weight loss clinic out of frustration. She
had tried several weight loss programs in the
past but had been unable to lose weight.
After two weeks on our program and an
800-calorie diet, Phyllis still had not lost
weight. I sensed her tremendous disappointment
and despair. I knew that she was really
trying. After carefully going over her regimen
it was apparent that she was sticking to the
diet and was even walking at least one mile a
day. I suggested some dietary targeted nutritional
supplements: 120 mg of Coenzyme
Q10 a day along with 400 mcg of chromium
picolinate plus a multivitamin and mineral
complex. She took these supplements after
every meal. Two weeks later Phyllis came
back with a smile on her face. She had lost
several pounds with no alterations in her diet
or exercise program. Perhaps she may have
had a low metabolism related to a deficiency
in nutrients like Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 supplements
may help some obese individuals
like Phyllis improve energy production,
enhancing the better utilization of calories
and resulting in weight loss.
Phyllis' success is supported by findings of
an earlier study of 27 morbidly obese patients.
In this investigation, serum levels of
Coenzyme Q10 were found to be low in 14
(52 percent) of the obese individuals. In nine
of the total of 27 subjects, 100 mg of CoQ10
was taken along with a 650-calorie-a-day diet.
After eight to nine weeks, the weight loss in
the CoQ10 deficient participants was significantly
greater, i.e., a 30-pound weight loss vs.
a 13-pound weight loss in those who weren't
deficient in CoQ10. It was hypothesized that
perhaps the administration of CoQ10
improved energy and accelerated weight loss
during caloric restriction.
In my own clinical experience of weight
reduction, I have seen similar findings, but
not everyone who is supplemented with
CoQ10 will lose weight. Each individual
struggling to lose weight will respond differently.
I hope a placebo-controlled trial with
CoQ10 supplementation in patients on low
calorie diets will be done in the future to
evaluate the effectiveness of CoQ10 for
weight loss on a more scientific basis. Since
the physiology of weight loss involves so
many variables, targeted nutritional supports
should always be considered in addition to
necessary lifestyle modifications, including
an exercise program, psychosocial counseling
and emotional release work. For more
detailed information on approaches to
weight loss, see my book, Optimum Heath
(Bantam, 1998).
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