AIM
CellSparc 360® Details
The
cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels. Heart
disease is the biggest killer in North America. It includes
structural or functional abnormalities of the heart, or of the blood
vessels supplying the heart, that impair its normal functioning.
Cholesterol contributes to buildup of plaque in the coronary
arteries that restricts blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain,
and possibly leading to heart attack and death.
In addition to eating a nutritious diet and getting adequate
exercise, supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), tocotrienols,
and fish oil can help maintain heart health.
Coenzyme Q10
All living cells require adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to
function. ATP represents a major source of stored energy in the body
and is responsible for many metabolic processes. CoQ10 is key in the
production of ATP.
CoQ10, or ubiquinone, is found throughout the body in cell
membranes, especially mitochondrial membranes, the areas of cells
where food is converted to energy. According to a 1990 article in
the American Journal of Cardiology, “Coenzyme Q10 is necessary for
the mitochondria to perform their functions and is essential for
human life.” CoQ10 is most abundant in the heart, lungs, liver,
kidneys, and spleen.
Without adequate levels of CoQ10, the body cannot produce
adequate levels of ATP. When you consider that the average person
uses 60 percent of his or her daily energy alone on base metabolism,
you can see how important CoQ10 is in ensuring that the body is able
to create enough energy for both its millions of everyday tasks and
its special energy needs.
In the mid-1960s, Japanese professor Yamamura was the first
clinician to use coenzyme Q7 (a compound related to CoQ10) in the
treatment of congestive heart failure. Since then, numerous clinical
trials have demonstrated the efficacy of CoQ10 in promoting cardiac
health (Langsjoen et al. 1994, Greenberg and Frishman 1990).
A recent literature review looked at clinical trials, articles,
reviews, and letters published during the past 25 years in regard to
the role of CoQ10 in heart failure (Tran et al. 2001). The review
indicates that CoQ10 helps in how efficiently the heart pumps
(ejection fraction), how well the heart functions when it is made to
work harder (exercise tolerance), how much blood is pumped by the
heart (stroke volume), and how much blood the heart can pump in one
minute (cardiac output.)
The abstract of the review indicates that “the use of CoQ10 as
adjuvant therapy in patients with chronic heart failure may be
supported.”
Japanese researchers have also found that CoQ10 supplementation
prior to and immediately following open-heart surgery is highly
beneficial in preventing injuries related to reperfusion, restoring
blood flow to organs and tissues.
Studies also indicate that CoQ10 supplementation may decrease the
amount of medication used by heart disease patients, improve health
as measured by the New York Heart Association functional scale,
improve overall quality of life for heart patients, and act to
maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
In addition to cardiac benefits, CoQ10 has been positively
researched with regard to periodontal disease, athletic performance
(stressful exercise reduces blood levels of CoQ10), muscular
dystrophy, immunity and infections, and HIV.
CoQ10 also seems to be a helpful secondary therapy in some
cancers. This is supported by research in regard to colon and
prostatic cancers and anecdotal reports in relation to pancreatic
and lung cancer.
Tocotrienols
Tocotrienols are a form of vitamin E. The term “vitamin E”
actually describes a group of eight fat-soluble compounds—alpha-,
beta-, delta-, and gamma-tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, delta-, and
gammatocotrienol. Usually, vitamin E is loosely used to refer to as
alpha-tocopherol.
Tocotrienols are found in cereal seeds and rice bran, and in palm
and barley oils. Research indicates that tocotrienols have antitumor
and antioxidant properties and may reduce cholesterol.
In one study, 90 people with high cholesterol levels followed the
American Heart Association (AHA) Step-1 diet and took 100 mg of
tocotrienols for a 35-day period.
This program reduced their total cholesterol levels 20 percent
and their LDL cholesterol levels—the “bad cholesterol”—25 percent
compared to their cholesterol levels at the beginning of the study
(Qureshi et al. 2002).
Another study (Serbinova and Packer 1994) shows that tocotrienols
have 40 to 60 times more antioxidant ability than
alpha-tocopherol—vitamin E.
Fish oil
Diets high in saturated fats have been linked to high blood
cholesterol levels. Epidemiological studies have shown that in
populations where large amounts of fish are consumed, there is
little evidence of heart disease.
The U.S. Physicians’ Health Study found that men who consumed
fish one time per week cut their risk of sudden cardiac death by 52
percent compared with men who ate fish less than one time per month
(Albert, et al. 1998).
A recent meta-analysis indicated that the use of dietary and
supplemental omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces overall
mortality, mortality due to myocardial infarction, and sudden death
in patients with coronary heart disease (Bucher et al. 2002).
Fish oil has also been found to help reduce triglyceride— a type
of fat—levels. High triglyceride levels are a factor in heart
disease.
Fish oils are rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are believed to decrease the risk
of thrombosis (blood clot) and lower blood pressure.
In addition to its health benefits, fish oil is used in AIM
CellSparc 360® as a dissolvent for the CoQ10 and tocotrienols. Dr.
Karl Folkers, the doctor responsible for much of the research on
CoQ10, recommends that it be dissolved in oil. Because CoQ10 is
fat-soluble, it requires fat to be absorbed by the digestive tract.
| AIM CellSparc 360® Specifications |
| Active Ingredient |
Amount |
Source |
| Coenzyme Q10 |
60 mg |
Plant |
| Tocotrienols |
100 mg |
Plant |
| Fish oil |
240 mg |
Cold-water fish |
Softgel capsules and absorption
A softgel
delivery system can increase the absorption of the product. A
double-blind, controlled study shows that an oil-diluent softgel
CoQ10 formulation has an absorption rate almost three times higher
than that of a dry capsule CoQ10 formulation.
An oil-diluent softgel formulation resulted in a CoQ10 blood
level of 265 percent over the base level, while a dry capsule form
of CoQ10 resulted in a blood level of 180 percent over the base
level.
The dry capsule CoQ10 was absorbed at 3.4 micrograms per minute,
while the oil-diluent softgel CoQ10 was absorbed at 9.3 micrograms
per minute—a 273 percent difference. This greater bioavailability
appears to affect energy. Results show that 83 percent of those who
used the oil-diluent softgel form experienced more energy, compared
to 30 percent of those who used the dry capsule form.
References
- Albert, C.M., et al. “Fish Consumption and Risk of Sudden
Cardiac Death.” Journal of the American Medical Association 279
(1998): 23-28.
- Bucher, H.C., et al. “N-3 [Omega-3] Polyunsaturated Fatty
Acids in Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized
Controlled Trials.” American Journal of Medicine 112, no. 4
(2002): 298-304.
- Greenberg, A., and W. Frishman. “Coenzyme Q10: A New Drug
for Cardiovascular Health.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 30,
no. 7 (July 1990): 596-608.
- Langsjoen, P., P. Langsjoen, R. Willis, and K. Folkers.
“Treatment of Essential Hypertension with Coenzyme Q10.”
Molecular Aspects of Medicine 15 Suppl (1994): S265-272.
- Qureshi, A.A., et al. “Dose-Dependent Suppression of Serum
Cholesterol by Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction (TRF(25)) of Rice Bran
in Hypercholesterolemic Humans.” Atherosclerosis 161, no. 1
(2002): 199-207.
- Serbinova, E.A., and L. Packer. “Antioxidant Properties of
Alpha-Tocopherol and Alpha-Tocotrienol.” Methods Enzymol. 234
(1994): 354-366.
- Tran, M.T., et al. “Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Chronic Heart
Failure, Angina, and Hypertension.” Pharmacotherapy 21, no. 7
(2001): 797-806.
Coenzyme Q10 and human nutrition
The complete Cardio
Health line consists of AIM CellSparc
360 and AIM Bear Paw Garlic. Use
these products to help yourself maintain cardiovascular health.
Complimentary Products are AIM GinkgoSense™,
AIM Proancynol® 2000, and
AIMega™. The complete
Senior's Support line consists of
AIM CellSparc 360,
AIM PrepZymes®, and
AIM GinkgoSense™. Complimentary
Product: AIMega™. Use these
products to help yourself maintain Senior's health. |