Question: from Alex

Before I begin I just want to say that it’s been a week and I feel great! I love Total Balance Men’s Plus! My questions is this…what ingredients in mens total balance help you produce coenzyme Q10?

Comment: from Warren Matthews of Xtend-Life

Great to hear that you are feeling the benefits so soon Alex! Joanna has answered your question below. I will just add a little comment though, even though it probably does not apply to you. Total Balance is very effective in stimulating your body to produce its own CoQ10 providing you are not on a statin drug!

If you are, the benefits of producing the CoQ10 are limited because the production of CoQ10 in the body follows the same pathway as the production of cholesterol. So, a statin drug will stop most of the COQ10 production. The only safe way to ensure that you get adequate CoQ10 IF you are on a statin drug is to supplement with CoQ10 itself.

Because many of our customers are on a statin drug due to the insistence of their Doctors, we have decided in our next generation of Total Balance to include a high potency form of CoEnzymeQ10.

Answer: from Joanna (Medical Nutritionist for Xtend-Life)

In short CoQ10 is made from similar compounds (other enzymes) and smaller molecules (amino acids, trace elements, and vitamins). All of which are contained in our Total Balance formula for their general requirement by the body, as well as their ability to encourage the body to make CoQ10.

Every cell in the body has the ability to make coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). However, not all cells make the same amount. The muscles, heart, kidneys, and pancreas all make CoQ10 with the bulk of the CoQ10 being made by the liver. By providing these organs with the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and trace elements they need, they are able to efficiently biosynthesize CoQ10.

The primary source of coenzyme Q10 is this biosynthesis. This is a long and complex series of biochemical reactions that requires a broad spectrum of vitamins, N-Acetyl Cysteine and other amino acids along with various trace elements.

The benzoquinone portion of Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine, while the isoprene side chain is synthesized from acetyl-CoA through the mevalonate pathway (the mevalonate pathway is used for the first steps of cholesterol biosynthesis).

Its biosynthesis from the amino acid tyrosine alone is a complex multistage process requiring several of the vitamins and trace elements we have in Total Balance.