Happy New Year. I hope you have had a good Christmas, and have managed to navigate your way through these recent challenging weeks without too much trouble. In Organico, we had a busy Christmas, but we also had a good break, and we are looking forward to 2022 – in particular we are excited about celebrating our 30th Birthday this year. Our father Alan Dare first opened the doors to Organico in 1992, and this year we are going to celebrate the last 30 Years of Organico in West Cork. Exciting times!
Recently one of my team members mentioned to me that her gingivitis (bleeding gums) had vastly improved when taking a CoenzymeQ10 supplement. This caught my attention, as I’ve recently been seeing blood when brushing my teeth and although we have been selling CoQ10 since the 90s, I had not realised it was so effective for gum health. I decided to investigate further!
CoQ10 is a fat soluble vitamin-like substance that is found in every cell in the human body. It’s found in various foods including organ meats, sardines and spinach. Although our body is able to manufacture its own CoQ10, after the age of 20 our ability to do so declines and is very depleted by the age of 40. In addition to this age-related decline, there are other factors that deplete the amount of Coenzyme Q10 found in the body. One is common Statin drugs such as Lipitor. Other factors such as unhealthy diets, environmental toxins and stress can also diminish CoQ10 levels. To restore healthy youthful levels of Coenzyme Q10, dietary supplements or focused increase of foods containing this nutrient are required.
Once I started digging, I found several interesting articles online by dentists who report that people with gingivitis and periodontal disease have benefited by taking CoQ10 as a supplement. Periodontal disease is basically an inflammatory disease where the body’s reaction to toxins in the mouth creates inflammation, which results in the destruction of the gum and bone around the teeth. One Boston dentist says that CoQ10 is an anti-inflammatory and appears to work to directly bring down inflammation in the gums, reducing bleeding, repairing pockets and overall improving the condition of gums.
Interestingly, studies show that the effect of CoQ 10 on gum health can take place in as little as a month. This did make sense to me as my team member who reported an improvement in her bleeding gums said it happened very quickly. She also said that the bleeding gums came back when she stopped taking the supplement, which indicates that her body is no longer able to produce enough CoQ10 to maintain good gum health on its own.
Another dentist who was researching this topic in the US focused on the fact that people with gum disease often have a deficiency of CoQ10 when compared to people without gum disease:‘The body’s ability to heal and repair periodontal tissue depends in part on an adequate supply of CoQ10. Gingival biopsies have revealed subnormal tissue levels of CoQ10 in 60-96 per cent of patients with periodontal disease. These findings suggest that periodontal disease is frequently associated with CoQ10 deficiency’.
He goes on to say: ‘CoQ10 is found naturally in many foods, such as spinach, broccoli, sardine and mackerel. After the age of 35, our natural ability to synthesise CoQ10 from foods slows down. As a result, a gradual deficiency of CoQ10 develops over time. Compounding this action, poor eating habits, stress, and infection all negatively impact the body’s ability to provide adequate amounts of CoQ10’.
The same dentist says: ‘If you’re experiencing persistent gum problems, i.e. bleeding and inflammation or even halitosis (bad breath), do your own experiment. Begin taking CoQ10 for at least three months. Remember, nothing changes overnight. You be the judge. Do your gums look and feel better? Has your general health improved? If the answer is yes, you might want to consider adding this supplement to your daily regimen.
Overall, my conclusion is that it could be a good decision to consider taking CoQ10 supplements after age 40 for its health benefits for the whole body, but in particular if you suffer from bleeding gums or are concerned about periodontal disease. CoQ10 has an excellent safety record with few, if any side effects. I’m certainly going to try it out for the next two to three months and see how I feel.
Daily dosages can vary but usually 60-100mg/day is suggested for general maintenance and 200-600mg/day is better for therapeutic purposes.
If you are interested in trying a CoQ10 supplement, there are many options available in all good Healthfood Stores, but it seems from my reading that taking it as a Spray form, which you can hold in your mouth for a few minutes before swallowing makes a lot of sense. Several Dentists referred to topical applications and this is the closest we have to that. We have a new Spray in Organico from an Irish company called One Nutrition, it tastes great and it’s even on Special Offer this month – and it’s available instore and online. Call in and have a look at our range of natural toothpastes and mouthwashes also.
If you want to check out the Blogs and Studies mentioned here, this article is on our Blog with links for you to follow.
Organico Shop Deli and Bakery is open from 9am-6.30pm Monday – Saturday, on Glengarriff Road in Bantry. Call us on 027 51391; email us on info@organico.ie and buy online from us on www.organico.ie.
