CoQ10 heart healthy

If you want to know about CoQ10 and heart health, you might want to listen to what Dr. Gifford Jones has to say about this vital nutrient. After all, his heart is ticking strong at 90+ years old. 

Here is his article, "10 Facts You Should Know About Coenzyme Q10"

Mark Twain once remarked, "Get your facts first, then distort them as you please!" Facts are easy to distort in medicine, particularly when talking about coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). So here are 10 vital things to know about this important enzyme. And what unintended consequences occur when humans start playing God.

One: What is CoQ10? It's often referred to as the "sparkplug of our motors." Cars run on gas. Our 37 trillion cells get their energy from ATP (adenosine triphosphate), but we cannot make ATP without CoQ10.

Two: Studies show that our body has the highest amount of CoQ10 during our 20s. But then it starts to decrease. Several medical problems may result, such as fatigue, muscle cramps, weakness, emotional troubles and hypertension. Dr. Karl Folker, one of the early pioneers of CoQ10, says that a 25 per cent deficiency in CoQ10 is sufficient to cause illness, and a 75 per cent loss can result in death.

Three: The heart is a remarkable organ as it beats 100,000 times every 24 hours and 2.5 billion times by age 70, without a single holiday. Consequently, it requires a huge amount of energy. So nature has placed more CoQ10 in the heart than any other organ for this reason.

Four: Today millions of North Americans are taking cholesterol-lowering-drugs (CLDs). But this poses a problem. CLDs work by inhibiting an enzyme that produces cholesterol. But this same enzyme is also required for the manufacture of CoQ10, so by taking CLDs, less CoQ10 is produced. It's worrying that CLDs rob the heart's muscle of up to 40 per cent of CoQ10!.This is the best example I know where humans, by tinkering with nature, trigger unintended consequences. Beta blockers for blood pressure and antidepressant drugs can also decrease CoQ10 levels.

Five: Some researchers believe that by robbing the heart of CoQ10 year after year, CLDs may be setting the stage for an epidemic of heart failure. Currently, heart failure is the fastest growing cardiovascular problem in North America, partly due to an aging population and possibly an unintended effect of CLDs.

Six: 25 per cent of cholesterol is located in the brain as it, too, requires a good supply of energy. The use of CLDs results in another unintended consequence as CLDs pass through the blood brain barrier. This delivers a double whammy to the brain by affecting cholesterol metabolism and decreasing CoQ10. This explains why some people on CLDs complain of emotional problems. In rare cases, it has caused total amnesia, cured only by discontinuing this medication.

Seven: In my travels I've found that large numbers of people on CLDs are not taking CoQ10. If you are one of those, you should discuss this matter with your doctor. Remember, today there's a tendency for physicians to prescribe increasing doses of CLDs, and the greater the amount, the more need for CoQ10.

Eight: Studies show patients with heart failure have low levels of CoQ10. Fortunately, CoQ10 supplements can increase the strength of cardiac muscle in patients suffering from this problem. And a report in the American Journal of Cardiology, showed that a daily dose of 150 milligrams of CoQ10 decreases the incidence of angina by 50 per cent.

Nine: 50 per cent of overweight patients have low levels of CoQ10. Speeding up metabolism with Co Q10 is a safe way to help weight loss. CoQ10 is also a good antioxidant and some evidence shows it may be helpful for those with macular degeneration and diabetes. A lack of antioxidants has been associated with aging.

Ten: Remember, it's energy that makes our world function day after day, and without it, civilization as we know it will quickly end. Since CoQ10 is the body's main source of fuel, the more we know about it the better. It's available in health food stores.

As Benjamin Disraeli, Britain's prime minister, counselled, "As a general rule, most successful people are ones who have the best information".

So I hope Mark Twain would be pleased with these non-distorted facts.

Original article appears Dr. Gifford Jones website! 

Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 has a more advanced form called Ubiquinol. It is the form in your body that needs to be converted from CoQ10 to be used for cellular energy. 

Pumpkins scary but sexy, for male libido

Sure, it is pumpkin carving time, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte time, but if you are carving your pumpkin you might want to save those seeds! 

Scary

Why? To spice things up in the bedroom! 

Pumpkin seeds and their oil are great for male libido, virility, and the prostrate. Pumpkin seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients ranging from phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper plus zinc and iron. They are a good source of protein. They have some vitamin content as well, E, D, K and the B's. 

Pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed oil for libido

It is their high phosphorus, magnesium and zinc content that benefits the male prostrate. Together, Magnesium and Zinc, help increase testosterone, and subsequently sperm! 

Pumpkin seeds are known for their high Zinc content. For men, the highest zinc concentrations in the body are found in the prostrate.  Pumpkin seed extracts and oils have long been known to be helpful with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate). Pumpkin seeds also contain phytosterols, and lignin also beneficial to the male prostrate. There have been studies to shows that pumpkin seed oil can prevent prostate enlargement — a major health issue for men over 60. Not only is pumpkin seed oil a preventative, it is is also been shown to reverse prostrate enlargement. 

Besides Magnesium a key component for optimum sexual function…  it’s also necessary in supporting prostate health.

Phosphorous helps maintain healthy erections strong libido. Phosphorus is also necessary for strong bones. Phosphorus is also necessary for pH (acid-base balance) in the body and generates and utilizes energy.

A man's prostate is like the command and control centre for how much sperm he releases when he ejaculates. It also regulates the power of his urine output.

So proper maintenance of the prostrate with the necessary nutrients is absolutely vital. 

Pumpkin seeds contain an added source of support as they are also an excellent source of the amino acid Myosin, This amino acid is supports strong muscular contractions and energy.

Sexy

Let's not stop there, Pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed oil support men and women in these ways. 

• Pumpkin seed oil may help with hair loss. Male pattern baldness (as well as hair loss in women) is sometimes associated with overly high levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). One of the phytochemicals in pumpkin oil, beta-sitosterol, has been found to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT. DHT is a conversion of testosterone that you do not want to see too much of.
• Pumpkin seed oil may help to heal your digestive tract. The high fatty acid content of pumpkin oil can balance out excess inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, helping to soothe uncomfortable symptoms.
• Some of the same nutrients, like Magnesium and phytosterols certainly are beneficial for heart health. 
• Pumpkin seed oil aids bone health as previously mentioned from the phosphorus, but also the other minerals and vitamins A and K. They help to build strong bones and help to prevent fractures and post-menopausal bone loss.
• Another organ supported with pumpkin seed oil is the liver. The healthy fats and antioxidants, support liver health.
• Pumpkin seeds can resemble the shape of eyes. and they protect them as well. Pressed pumpkin seed oil contains high levels of zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that has been shown to protect your eyes from UV and blue light damage.
• Women may get some postmenopausal relief with the use of pumpkin seed oil. Their natural phytoestrogens in pumpkin seed oil help to lower blood pressure and provide relief from symptoms like hot flashes, headaches and joint pain.
• Bladder support is another benefit of pumpkin seed oil. Irritation of the bladder lining and incontinence are a concern especially women post-childbirth and post-menopause . Pumpkin oil may help strengthens the muscles that support the bladder which can help to prevent prolapse and stress incontinence.  It can also help to soothe bladder irritation, reducing urge incontinence.

The best way to get the most benefit of the pumpkin seeds are to eat them raw. The World's Healthiest Foods org, suggests to eat the whole seed for maximum zinc intake. Just below the shell is an endosperm which contains a good portion of the zinc content. It is difficult to shell and maintain the endosperm, thus the reasoning for eating the whole shell. "Whole roasted, unshelled pumpkin seeds (cream colour) contain about 10 milligrams of zinc per 3.5 ounces, and shelled roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed kernels (green colour) contain about 7-8 milligrams.  http://www.whfoods.com also recommends that if you are going to roast them, do so in a single layer on a cookie sheet and only lightly roast them in a 160-170°F oven for 15-20 minutes so as to not denature the beneficial fat content. If you do purchase from a store, ensure they are not old, stale, or rancid producing fungal mycotoxins. Organic pumpkin seeds are preferable to eliminate contamination with pesticides. 

Nuts and seeds also have phytic acid, an anti-nutrient.  This can make the important nutrients less bioavailable when eaten. What reduces the phytic acid is to soak or sprout them. Then they can be dehydrated in the oven, or dehydrator.

INSTRUCTIONS for sprouting and dehydrating

1. Place the nuts or seeds in a bowl, and add the salt. Cover with filtered water by at least 1½ inches. Soak at least 7 hours or overnight.
2. DRYING IN THE OVEN. Make sure your oven has a setting of 170 degrees or lower. Use the lowest setting possible. Rinse the nuts or seeds thoroughly, and drain in a sieve. Place them in a single layer on baking sheets.
3. Dry for at least 12 hours in the warm oven, until completely dry and crispy. Stir a few times during the drying process.
4. DRYING IN A DEHYDRATOR. Rinse the nuts or seeds thoroughly, and drain in a sieve. Place them in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Excalibur makes dehydrators and Life Sustainers can order them for you. 
5. Dry at 100 degrees for 24 to 36 hours. The timing varies depending on the nuts and seeds.

If you want the benefit of pumpkin seed oil in powerful dosages, you might want to try Genestra's Pumpkin capsules or Styrian Pumpkin seed oil. Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil is unrefined and grown and processed in the southern region of Austria. You can see the difference in it's very dark green colour as the pumpkins are from a special variety of pumpkin that only grows in a small area--Styria. They possess the highest anti oxidation effect!

Pumpkin capsules

Styrian Gold, available at Life Sustainers