CoQ10 and egg quality
CoQ10 is improving egg quality by affecting energy status of women’s eggs. Image credit: dream_designs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
CoQ10 is a naturally occurring nutrient that is needed for energy production. CoQ10 has potent antioxidant properties and cell membrane stabilizing properties, which make it beneficial for egg quality.
CoQ10 works within the mitochondria (the cellular power stations) in the cells and is essential for energy production.
You can read more about it here: CoQ10 improves egg quality in older women.
Until recently, CoQ10 was not thought to be a needed supplement, as all normal tissue produces its own CoQ10. However, this production decreases naturally with age and is also lowered by certain drugs, including statins. It is also known that the human egg has the greatest energy demand of any cell in the body. Energy demand goes up considerably during the process of follicle growth. It was therefore theorized that supplementing with CoQ10 could improve egg quality.
A recent study from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto on Coenzyme Q10 and egg quality suggests that, in fact, it may possibly improve egg quality and slow down or even reverse the aging process.
In the study, scientists found that by injecting old mice with the antioxidant CoQ10, they were able to stimulate more eggs to develop, and the genetic quality of these eggs, their youthfulness, resembled those of mice in their reproductive prime. The offspring of these older mice, who were the equivalent of a 50-year human, were as healthy as those from younger mothers. It appeared that the CoQ10 was actually able to rejuvenate the mitochondria (the cell’s power source) and improve energy status of the eggs.
Another interesting study realated to rejuvenating women’s eggs was published by Dr. Jon Tilley in Nature Medicine. It shows that stem cells found in human ovaries may be capable of generating new eggs – suggesting, that under the right conditions, women could possibly keep producing new eggs much longer then previously thought.
Thus, it appears that the state of women’s eggs may be less predetermined than previously thought. And this gives women hope that there are things they can do to preserve and improve their fertility.
Scientific reports on CoQ10 and fertility:
- Bentov Y, Esfandiari N, Burstein E, Casper RF. The use of mitochondrial nutrients to improve the outcome of infertility treatment in older patients.Fertil Steril. 2010 Jan;93(1):272-5.
- Bentov Y, Yavorska T, Esfandiari N, Jurisicova A, Casper RF. The contribution of mitochondrial function to reproductive aging.J Assist Reprod Genet. 2011 Sep;28(9):773-83.
- Liu M, Yin Y, Ye X, Zeng M, Zhao Q, Keefe DL, Liu L. Resveratrol protects against age-associated infertility in mice. Hum Reprod. 2013 Mar;28(3):707-17.
- Liu S, Li Y, Gao X, Yan JH, Chen ZJ. Changes in the distribution of mitochondria before and after in vitro maturation of human oocytes and the effect of in vitro maturation on mitochondria distribution.Fertil Steril. 2010 Mar 15;93(5):1550-5.
- May-Panloup P, Chrétien MF, Jacques C, Vasseur C, Malthièry Y, Reynier P. Low oocyte mitochondrial DNA content in ovarian insufficiency. Hum Reprod. 2005 Mar;20(3):593-7.
- Santos TA, El Shourbagy S, St John JC. Mitochondrial content reflects oocyte variability and fertilization outcome.Fertil Steril. 2006 Mar;85(3):584-91.
- Seifer DB, DeJesus V, Hubbard K. Mitochondrial deletions in luteinized granulosa cells as a function of age in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2002 Nov;78(5):1046-8.
