Huge energy today with Grapefruit and Ubiquinol (Coenzyme Q10). We'll see about tomorrow.

[researcher]

BTW, I just checked. The Nature Made brand doesn't use Ubiquinol right? Why not change to this form?

thanks

 

[BeautifulDay]

Study: "The effect of grapefruit intake on endogenous serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal women."

This study showed an important difference between eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice. I wonder if any other studies found the same thing. If yes, then I might be switching from grapefruit to grapefruit juice.

Since eating the grapefruit, my energy is up and my fatigue is down. However, my face is now full of acne. I had some red bumps with my red malar like rash. However, nothing like I've had on eating grapefruit. I'm not postmenopausal, so the study doesn't apply from that standpoint.

Yet, if I can get the good increased absorption of CoQ10 from the grapefruit juice (as shown in the Japanese study), without an increased amount of acne and possible increased risk of breast cancer, then that would be fabulous. In my case, grapefruit juice seems to be supported. I'll finish off the next few days of grapefruit that I have in the house, and buy some grapefruit juice and see if the increased energy continues with grapefruit juice.

I'd like to see a supplement that just isolated the ingredient in grapefruit that increases absorption of CoQ10, without the grapefruit ingredient that impacts endogenous serum estrogen. Then of course, I'd like to see it tested.

"Abstract: Although grapefruit intake leads to elevated serum estrogen levels when hormones are taken orally, there are no published data on the effect on endogenous levels. We conducted a pilot dietary intervention study among healthy postmenopausal volunteers to test whole grapefruit, 2 juices, and 1 grapefruit soda. Fifty-nine participants were recruited through the Love/Avon Army of Women. The study consisted of a 3-wk run-in, 2 wk of grapefruit intake, and a 1-wk wash-out. Eight fasting blood samples were collected. An additional 5 samples drawn at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 hr after grapefruit intake were collected during an acute-phase study for 10 women. Serum assays for estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estrone-3-sulfate (E1S), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex hormone-binding globulin were conducted. Whole grapefruit intake had significant effects on endogenous E1S. Peak effects were seen at 8 hr, increasing by 26% from baseline. No changes in mean E1 or E2 with whole fruit intake were observed. In contrast, fresh juice, bottled juice, and soda intake all had significant lowering effects on E2. The findings suggest an important interaction between grapefruit intake and endogenous estrogen levels. Because endogenous estrogen levels are associated with breast cancer risk, further research is warranted."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23859031

 

[blueberry]

@BeautifulDay , I am excited and inspired by this thread. I've noticed an increase in stamina the last few days, just by upping my ubiquinol. I had a massive report to write and it has helped. I have a couple of questions, if that's OK. Can people safely experiment with reaching an optimum doseage of ubiquinol? I'm on 200- 300 mg daily, in 2 doses at present. Also, I'm a bit concerned about the estrogen connection with grapefruit. I have grade 4 endometriosis and estrogens aren't good for that......I think I get affected even by phyto-estrogens in soya milk! I take a progestogen pill to keep the endo symptoms down. I don't expect you to know the answers, but have been well impressed with your braininess so far. In normal daily life I don't really notice my cognitive impairment, but when it comes to reading science stuff I really notice that I can't interpret or follow it anymore. A lot of what's discused on this forum goes over my head now. I'm about 20% less clever than I used to be! Thanks for all you've shared.

 

[pattismith]

@BeautifulDay

you just reminded me I have already read and quoted this study here:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/grapefruit-warning-to-women.55793/#post-929935

I was doing a trial with grapefruit juice+ Ubiquinol and had an estrogen bath symptoms (I think that acne was part of it too!). At first I thought grapefruit was the culprit, but after more investigations, I realized I was also taking soya lecithin, which is very very rich in phytoestrogens! So I stopped grapefruit and soya after that and I managed to loose one of the two kilos...

 

[E.man]

Didnt even see a ny juice in supermarket. So bloody generic white bread.

 

[BeautifulDay]

Didnt even see a ny juice in supermarket. So bloody generic white bread.

I'm going to the grocery store today to look for the grapefruit juice. I just need it to stop snowing.

 

[BeautifulDay]

@BeautifulDay Can people safely experiment with reaching an optimum doseage of ubiquinol? I'm on 200- 300 mg daily, in 2 doses at present.

Finding a correct dose for anyone and analyzing possible contraindications are very personal, so it's hard to comment on what's right for anyone. For me, in order to survive and make my life better, I do self experiment with things that I believe have the potential for making things better, with little possible downside. I'm a big believer in listening to the body, trying various levels of supplements (like D3 and Ribofalvin (B2)), at different times of the day, and figuring out the amount that best works for me right now.

I find the below study interesting on three points.
1) It's use of high dose Ubiquinol.
2) The finding that "The cerebral metabolic ratio of oxygen measured by 15O2 PET, however, increased by approximately 30% after administration of ubiquinol, suggesting that ubiquinol can improve mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the brain."
3) "It was notable that his serum creatinine level gradually declined over 36 months (from 1.45 to 0.95 mg/dl)."

Title: "Three-Year Follow-Up of High-Dose Ubiquinol Supplementation in a Case of Familial Multiple System Atrophy with Compound Heterozygous COQ2 Mutations"

"Abstract: We report a 3-year follow-up of high-dose ubiquinol supplementation in a case of familial multiple system atrophy (MSA) with compound heterozygous nonsense (R387X) and missense (V393A) mutations in COQ2. A high-dose ubiquinol supplementation substantially increased total coenzyme Q10 levels in cerebrospinal fluid as well as in plasma. The patient was at the advanced stage of MSA, and the various scores of clinical rating scales remained stable without changes during the 3 years. The cerebral metabolic ratio of oxygen measured by 15O2 PET, however, increased by approximately 30% after administration of ubiquinol, suggesting that ubiquinol can improve mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the brain. It also suggests the therapeutic potential of ubiquinol for patients with MSA with COQ2 mutations. Further clinical trials of administration of high-dose ubiquinol to MSA patients are warranted."

This is what the study refers to as high dose:
"After baseline assessment, supplementation was started at 600 mg of ubiquinol/day (given once a day), with the dosage increased to 840 mg/day at week 2 and to 1200 mg/day at week 6. The 1200-mg/day dosage was maintained until week 8. When no adverse events were observed during this period, the patient resumed taking 1200 mg of ubiquinol/day after an interval of 8 weeks and remained taking ubiquinol at this same dose for over 3 years to date."

This is how the supplements impacted the patient's labs:
"The analysis of the total CoQ10 levels in plasma and PBMCs revealed a significant increase after 2 weeks of ubiquinol supplementation at 600 mg/day (Table 1). The total CoQ10 levels in plasma and PBMCs remained similar for another 4 weeks at 840 mg/day, and a subsequent 2-week administration of ubiquinol at 1200 mg/day led to substantial increases in the total CoQ10 levels in the plasma and the PBMCs. The CoQ10 level in CSF increased from 0.22 to 3.79 ng/ml after 2 weeks of 840 mg/day, and a similar level of 3.64 ng/ml was observed after 2 weeks of 1200 mg/day. Eight weeks after the last supplementation of ubiquinol, the total CoQ10 levels in plasma, PBMCs, and CSF returned to baseline levels."

Additional information that caught my attention:
"The patient continued to take 1200 mg of ubiquinol/day for over 3 years (Fig. 1). During the entire course, we did not observe any adverse events that were considered to be associated with the ubiquinol supplementation throughout the entire study period. After 36 months of supplementation, evaluation of scores of clinical rating scales (Barthel index, SARA, ICARS, and UMSARS) showed no remarkable changes (Table 2). The brain MRI findings also remained unchanged for the 3 years (Fig. 2). It was notable that his serum creatinine level gradually declined over 36 months (from 1.45 to 0.95 mg/dl) (Fig. 1). His body weight decreased in the first 16 weeks (48.5 to 41.0 kg), but gradually increased over 36 months (41.0 to 46.0 kg) after increasing his daily calorie intake (from 900 to 1500 kcal/day)."

Study Discussion:
"In the present single case study of a patient with familial MSA carrying compound heterozygous mutations in COQ2, administration of high-dose ubiquinol led to a substantial increase in the total CoQ10 levels not only in the plasma and PBMC but also in the CSF. Although previous reports have failed to show the increase in total CSF CoQ10 level by ubiquinone or ubiquinol supplementation, which was caused possibly due to the insufficient dose (300 mg/day) [25], this is the first study showing that ubiquinol supplementation at 840 and 1200 mg/day clearly elevated the total CSF CoQ10 level. CoQ10 has been reported to be poorly absorbed, and its bioavailability varies among formulations [26]. Previous dose escalation studies (up to 3000 mg/day) using chewable tablets of ubiquinone in patients with Parkinson disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington disease concordantly showed that the total plasma CoQ10 levels reached the plateau levels of approximately 7.0–7.5 μg/ml after multiple doses of 2400 mg/day [22, 23, 24]. When assessing the bioavailability of ubiquinol in this study, the trough concentrations of total CoQ10 in plasma were 5.04 μg/ml for 600 mg/day, 4.02 μg/ml for 840 mg/day, and 7.86 μg/ml for 1200 mg/day 2 weeks after the daily intake of ubiquinol. Furthermore, another previous study using ubiquinol showed that mean total plasma CoQ10 levels were 2.61 μg/ml for 90 mg/day, 3.66 μg/ml for 150 mg/day, and 6.53 μg/ml for 300 mg/day 2 weeks after a daily intake of ubiquinol [27]. These observations indicate that ubiquinol is better absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract than ubiquinone, and we conclude that the ubiquinol dose of 1200 mg/day is sufficient for achieving a plateau of total CoQ10 level in plasma.
Remarkably, CMRO2 increased without an increase in CBF after administration of 1200 mg of ubiquinol, which suggests that ubiquinol improved cerebral mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Despite the increase in the CMRO2, however, we did not detect any obvious neurological improvements as determined by the rating scales, presumably owing to the advanced stage of neurodegeneration. Notably, his serum creatinine level gradually declined during the ubiquinol supplementation over 36 months (from 1.45 to 0.95 mg/dl). Because renal involvement has been frequently observed in patients with primary CoQ10 deficiency caused by genetic defects in CoQ10 biosynthesis [28, 29, 30], the renal dysfunction in the patient was likely caused by CoQ10 deficiency and was ameliorated by ubiquinol supplementation. He also showed weight loss in the first 16 weeks of supplementation (48.5 to 41.0 kg). We extensively investigated the cause of his weight loss. However, we did not find chronic infectious diseases, malignancies, extremity edema, pleural effusion, or ascites in this patient during the entire study period. He gradually regained his body weight over 36 months (41.0 to 46.0 kg) after increasing his daily calorie intake. Despite the body weigh changes, his general health condition remained stable."

Study Conclusions:
"The current study suggests that high-dose ubiquinol supplementation (up to 1200 mg/day) is tolerable and improves cerebral mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, which may alter the natural history of MSA progression especially when applied in the early phase of MSA in patients with genetic defects in the CoQ10 biosynthetic pathway. Further clinical trials including administration of ubiquinol to MSA patients carrying heterozygous COQ2 mutations as well as to patients without mutations in COQ2 are warranted. Prospective randomized controlled trials will be undertaken to further extend these initial promising observations."

Full study:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12311-017-0846-9

I'm not advocating the high dose that this patient used. Looking at his MRI, the amount of atrophy on the cerebellum was even obvious to me. Therefore, this patient was starting in a position of being pretty far gone already with essentially nothing to lose when he started the study. I don't take that high of a dose. But the study in itself is very interesting.

 

[BeautifulDay]

Another study on high dose CoQ10.

Title "Does High-Dose Coenzyme Q10 Improve Oxidative Damage and Clinical Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease?"

"Abstract: Evidence on the efficacy of high-dose coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is conflicting. An open-label dose-escalation study was performed to examine the effects of CoQ10 on biomarkers of oxidative damage and clinical outcomes in 16 subjects with early idiopathic PD. Each dose (400, 800, 1200, and 2400 mg/day) was consumed daily for 2 weeks. High-dose CoQ10 was well tolerated and improvements in the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (median, 37 vs. 27; p=0.048) were observed following study completion. Plasma F2-isoprostanes (adjusted for arachidonate) were significantly reduced in the 400–1200 mg/day dose range, but increased at 2400 mg/day dosage. A similar pattern of change was observed with serum phospholipase A2 activities. Levels of plasma all trans-retinol, plasma total tocopherol, serum uric acid, and serum total cholesterol were unchanged despite an increase in the CoQ10 dosage. Subjects with symptomatic benefits from CoQ10 (decrease in total UPDRS >10 points) had lower baseline plasma ubiquinol (p=0.07, Mann–Whitney U test) and decreased F2-isoprostanes per unit arachidonate (p=0.04, Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test). These results lead to the hypothesis that the therapeutic response to CoQ10 depends on baseline levels of ubiquinol and whether the dosage of CoQ10 used can ameliorate the burden of oxidative damage. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 21: 211–217."

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ars.2013.5801

 

[BeautifulDay]

There is a lot of research into high dose CoQ10. The book “Coenzyme Q10: From Fact to Fiction” does a good job of pulling together various studies related to high doses. Here are a few points that caught my eye.

“However, these results also highlight the difficulties encountered by exogenous CoQ10 in reaching the mitochondria because of its high lipophilicity which suggests that exogenous CoQ10 must be administered at high doses due to its low absorption and bioavailability [25].”

“The reduced form of CoQ10, UQ10H2 appears to have better absorption, bioavailability and tissue uptake than CoQ10. When Coq9X/X mice were supplemented with high doses of CoQ10 or UQ10H2, CoQ10 was increased in all tissues, with the tissue level of CoQ10 following UQ10H2 supplementation being higher than that with CoQ10. Futhermore, the decrease in markers of oxidative damage in different brain regions of the mice was more pronounced following UQ10H2 treatment than CoQ10 (Figure 2) [26].”

“There are multiple roles of CoQ10, including signaling and pro-oxidant functions, raising the possibility that high doses could be, in some cases, deleterious.”

“High doses (150mg/kg/day) result in an increase in cardiac and muscle concentrations, suggesting higher plasma CoQ10 levels are necessary to facilitate peripheral tissue uptake [23]. Exogenous CoQ10 absorption and bioavailability depend greatly on the CoQ10 preparation used ….”

“Treatment trials using high doses of coenzyme Q10 have documented that CoQ10 supplementation is safe and well tolerated……”

Several high dose studies are sited with the dose used in each. This is a great paragraph to read and includes the pediatric dose. This paragraph can be found at the bottom of page 87 and top of page 88 – page numbers in top corner.

Link to full article:
https://www.researchgate.net/profil...rs/links/55bdeeb208ae092e9663caf0.pdf#page=99

 

[andyguitar]

So where are with all this now? Looking for an alternative to Grapefruit?

 

[BeautifulDay]

Study: "Ubiquinol Improves Symptoms in Children with Autism"

"Abstract: Background. Autism is a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders with manifestation within 3 years after birth. Manifestations of autism include behavior problems (hyperactivity, toys destruction, self-harm, and agression) and sleep and eating disorders. Etiology of autism is poorly understood. Oxidative stress and antioxidants can participate in pathobiochemical mechanisms of autism. Methods. Twenty-four children, aged 3–6 years, with autism according to the DSM IV criteria and using CARS were included in the study. Concentrations of , γ- and α-tocopherol, β-carotene, and lipid peroxidation were determined in plasma before and after three months of supportive therapy with ubiquinol at a daily dose  mg. Data on behavior of the children were collected from parents at the same time. Results. Ubiquinol supportive therapy improved symptoms in children with autism, as communication with parents (in ), verbal communication (in ), playing games of children (in ), sleeping (in ), and food rejection (in ), with plasma level above . Conclusions. Beneficial effect of ubiquinol in children with autism has been demonstrated for the first time. We assume that plasma concentration of and lipid peroxidation could be used as relevant biomarkers of ubiquinol supportive therapy."

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/798957/abs/

 

[BeautifulDay]

So where are with all this now? Looking for an alternative to Grapefruit?

The original study from Japan was on grapefruit juice and not grapefruit. Therefore, in doing my self-testing, I'm going to next test grapefruit juice to see if it impacts my energy/fatigue.

I'm not sure there will be one answer for everyone. Some people respond to CoQ10 and some do not. It could be that the doses they tried were too low, or in the wrong form, or not highly absorbed and things like grapefruit could have helped increase absorption or reducing their vitamin E (Vitamin E might decrease CoQ10 absorption). I'm also a big believer in do no harm. Therefore, for women that find a change in acne or breast fullness or who are trying to avoid extra estrogen (in any form), they might consider using grapefruit juice instead.

Some of the studies seem to show that only people low on CoQ10 to begin with benefit from supplementation. Not everyone's fatigue is going to be due to low CoQ10. It's just another thing to check off the list in figuring out one's own puzzle.

 

[andyguitar]

Just to chuck something else into the mix. CoQ10 also has an effect on Dopamine and it's receptors. Lots about this so if you put something like this into your search box various different papers will come up....' Effect of CoQ10 on Dopamine'. Just one other thing. What would Grapefruit on its own do? It's worth remembering that it lowers insulin slightly.

 

[BeautifulDay]

@BeautifulDay Also, I'm a bit concerned about the estrogen connection with grapefruit. I have grade 4 endometriosis and estrogens aren't good for that......I think I get affected even by phyto-estrogens in soya milk! I take a progestogen pill to keep the endo symptoms down. I don't expect you to know the answers, but have been well impressed with your braininess so far. In normal daily life I don't really notice my cognitive impairment, but when it comes to reading science stuff I really notice that I can't interpret or follow it anymore. A lot of what's discused on this forum goes over my head now. I'm about 20% less clever than I used to be! Thanks for all you've shared.

Hi @blueberry

With endometriosis and being hyper sensitive to estrogens in your food and the doctors taking it seriously enough to give you progesterone to keep down your endo symptoms, I'd stay away from grapefruit and look into the grapefruit juice.

I believe this study might be on point, but I haven't reviewed the issue enough to know for sure.

Title: "Flavonoids in grapefruit juice inhibit the in vitro hepatic metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol.

"Abstract: Naringenin, quercetin and kaempferol, which may be found in glycoside form in natural compounds such as grapefruit, are potent inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 metabolism. The influence of these flavonoids on the metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol was investigated in a microsome preparation from human liver. The flavonoids were added in concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 250 and 500 mumol/l to the microsome preparation. The metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol was concentration dependently inhibited by all the flavonoids tested. Addition of the flavonoids to the microsome preparation did not influence estrone formation, while a potent inhibition of estriol formation was observed. At the highest concentrations tested of the respective flavonoid, there was approximately 75-85% inhibition of estriol formation. However, naringenin was a less potent inhibitor of 17 beta-estradiol metabolism as compared to quercetin and kaempferol. The most likely mechanism of action of the flavonoids on 17 beta-estradiol metabolism is inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 IIIA4 enzyme, which catalyzes the reversible hydroxylation of 17 beta-estradiol into estrone and further into estriol. These hydroxylation processes represent the predominant steps of the hepatic metabolic conversion of endogenous as well as exogenous 17 beta-estradiol. This interaction would be expected to inhibit the first-pass metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol, and this has recently been demonstrated after oral administration of 17 beta-estradiol to women."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8751044

 

[BeautifulDay]

It might be that the processing of grapefruit into grapefruit juice is a good thing.

I mentioned a study earlier on this thread titled ""The effect of grapefruit intake on endogenous serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal women."

To reiterate, they found that "Whole grapefruit intake had significant effects on endogenous E1S. Peak effects were seen at 8 hr, increasing by 26% from baseline. No changes in mean E1 or E2 with whole fruit intake were observed. In contrast, fresh juice, bottled juice, and soda intake all had significant lowering effects on E2. The findings suggest an important interaction between grapefruit intake and endogenous estrogen levels. Because endogenous estrogen levels are associated with breast cancer risk, further research is warranted."

Therefore, grapefruit versus grapefruit juice is something worth looking into since their results were different for grapefruit versus grapefruit juice.

 

[BeautifulDay]

Just to chuck something else into the mix. CoQ10 also has an effect on Dopamine and it's receptors. Lots about this so if you put something like this into your search box various different papers will come up....' Effect of CoQ10 on Dopamine'. Just one other thing. What would Grapefruit on its own do? It's worth remembering that it lowers insulin slightly.

I had thought about doing a self-study by going off CoQ10 and seeing what grapefruit does on it own. However, the thought quickly disappeared when I thought about the possibility of my energy level decreasing. It's just not worth it to me right now.

 

[andyguitar]

Yes this is not the time to experiment on yourself. It is interesting to note the difference in juice v whole fruit. It may be that taking the juice has a much more immediate effect as the element that lowers E2 is more bio-available. Apart from that i can't think of a reason for the difference.

 

[blueberry]

@BeautifulDay I take my hat off to you! You are amazing! Thanks so much for all the info, I feel more confident in trying the juice now. I have 2 cartons in the fridge and I'm having to practically sit on my hands to not start the experiment right now, as I'm going to wait until tomorrow morning. I think I'm on a decent brand of ubiquinol (Drs Best) and have just ordered their Kaneka one. I tried several other cheaper brands with no noticeable effect. I'll report back on what happens. I know it might not have the effect I'm hoping for but I feel happier knowing there's a new thing to try.

 

[BeautifulDay]

The grapefruit and Ubiquinol combination has definitely continued to give me a boost in energy. At the same time, things that impacted me before the combination (things that decreased energy), still impact me and the rules that I followed prior to the combo, still need to be followed.

1) All the things that would drop my energy prior to the combination, still drop my energy. I’m just not down for as long and that down doesn’t go as far down. 2) With the new uptick in energy, I’ve thought on more than one occasion that now I can have that …. (something I avoided in the past as impacting my health). Wrong. Everything that impacted me before still impacts me and the things I needed to avoid, I still need to avoid.

I’ll expand on both of these for anyone interested.

1) All the things that would drop my energy prior to the grapefruit and Ubiquinol combination, still drop my energy. I’m just not down for as long and that down doesn’t go as far down.

This week we’ve had illness in the house, a child with a headache that resulted in two hours of sleep for both of us, a snow storm that took out part of our deck and a gutter, and we lost many beloved trees due to the heavy snow breaking off numerous huge limbs. So while illness, sleep deprivation, and huge stressors made my energy drop compared to previous days, the downs were not quite as far down and I was able to bounce back more quickly. Albeit bounce back to my new level of energy (not a normal persons level of energy).

There was a day where most of the day I couldn’t get out of bed after the sleep deprivation. My legs felt like they were filled with cement, and there was an uptick in many symptoms. On that day, I almost went through the fast food drive-thru for the first time since the combo (grapefruit and ubiquinol) to buy the family dinner after picking up our daughter from school. But I didn’t. I stuck a frozen pizza in the oven instead. You know you have chronic fatigue when getting out of bed three times to make the frozen pizza is just too big of an obstacle (once to preheat the oven, once to put the pizza in, and lastly to take the pizza out). So my lowest energy day on the combo so far, I still made frozen pizza and picked up a child from school, did dishes, and a load of laundry and made lunches. Therefore, my lowest energy day to date doesn’t compare to my lowest energy days prior to the combo.

Pacing is still very important. It’s a more modified pacing because I’m not going down as long and the down doesn’t last as long. But really it’s about listening to the body in the moment.

For example, we had snow. A lot of snow. Most people around us are out immediately shoveling their driveways, sidewalks, and the paths up to their front doors. First, just the fact that I went out and shoveled any snow this year is by itself a miracle. I haven’t touched a snow shovel in at least five years (that I can remember). Rather waiting for my husband to eventually do it, but more likely waiting for someone to come to the front door that gets paid to shovel (usually kids from the neighborhood).

This year, I knew it would be a lot of snow. I went out multiple times during the snow to shovel the little path from a door at the top of our driveway to my car. Not waiting for the snow to be too heavy is a good planning tool when pacing. If the shovel is lighter, it’s easier. Each time it was about 10 minutes of light shoveling and I’d need to lay down from light hyperventilating. But I did it.

Then yesterday (the day after the snow), I did one path down the driveway for my left tire. Then I laid down. Then I went back out and did one path down the driveway for my right tire. I laid down.

Usually it’s an energy stealer to try to rally any of the kids to help me with such chores. They all have their own energy and health issues. Yet, yesterday, I rallied our son to shovel the bottom of the driveway (where the snow plow always dumps three feet of snow to dig out) and for him to also do a single person path down the sidewalk and on the walkway up to our front door.

Usually, getting our son to do anything (like shovel snow) is a real energy zapper. Yet yesterday, I only needed to sit down for few minutes after the battle of wills with our teenager. Part of it is he is also so very amiable these days. It might just be that he is seeing more of me with me feeling better. The whole household is running better with laundry done on time and the closet full of clean towels.

I then went back out and cleared the snow off my car. Then I went back and laid down. Then I was able to get the car out of the driveway and our son to the dentist for his dental cleaning appointment (the first one after his braces came off last week – so an important dentist appointment not to miss).

So is my pattern of lite work and pacing and lots of lay downs normal? No. Is it amazing compared to past years? Yes.

2) With the new uptick in energy, I’ve thought on more than one occasion that now I can have that …. (something I avoided in the past as impacting my health). Wrong. Everything that impacted me before still impacts me and the things I needed to avoid, I still need to avoid.

For example, in the past I’ve had terrible reactions to iron and copper. My body sucks it up and I feel toxic, and if I keep it up I lose my ability to talk and walk and think clearly. You would think I’d remember that.

I went out with a friend to a local diner. It’s been years since I was at this diner for lunch. In addition, I don't go out with friends for lunch often, as it takes energy to get ready and stay at attention. I ordered the crab cake sliders. Delicious. I forgot that I stopped eating crabcakes because they are high in copper and impact my brain. When I dropped eating high copper foods some of my symptoms decreased.

After eating the crab cake sliders, I started to develop a headache, I had trouble finding words when speaking for the next two days (people started filling in my words again when I couldn’t find one), and I just felt awful all over. It took me a day to realize I had just stepped onto one of my long time no-no’s. No crab meat. High copper which impacts my symptoms severely.

Over the years there are things I’ve learned to avoid and things I learned to do in order to avoid triggering symptoms. I have to remember that despite the increase in energy, those rules still apply.

 

[BeautifulDay]

I still have grapefruit in the fridge, so I haven’t switched over to grapefruit juice yet. In making the change to half a grapefruit per day (from a whole grapefruit per day), I did not notice a change (decrease) in energy in the short study. Therefore for me, half a grapefruit a day provides the same extra absorption of CoQ10 as a whole grapefruit on this very short self-test. When I move over to the grapefruit juice, I’ll likely start with a glass of juice at breakfast and lunch and then change it up from there depending upon energy impact.

I’m also very interested in the fact that high fat has also been shown to help increase absorption of CoQ10. I was thinking of regularly adding in a tablespoon of peanut butter at the same time with the grapefruit juice and CoQ10 morning and early afternoon. So 2 tablespoons daily. I’ve sort of started, but I’m not yet faithful with this step yet.

I had wondered if there could possibly be a synergistic impact of taking both grapefruit juice and high fat on CoQ10 absorption.

I found a study sort of on point. It was funded by grapefruit growers in California and the researchers were from Berkley. I take studies from industry with a grain of salt. However, we do already know that grapefruit juice increases absorption and fat increases absorption on their own – so it’s not a far stretch to think combined it might possibly have an increased impact beyond. This study didn’t look at the combo’s impact on CoQ10 absorption. But it does get us a little step closer.

Title “Consumption of Clarified Grapefruit Juice Ameliorates High-Fat Diet Induced Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain in Mice”

“Abstract
To determine the metabolic effects of grapefruit juice consumption we established a model in which C57Bl/6 mice drank 25–50% sweetened GFJ, clarified of larger insoluble particles by centrifugation (cGFJ), ad libitum as their sole source of liquid or isocaloric and sweetened water. cGFJ and control groups consumed similar amounts of liquids and calories. Mice fed a high-fat diet and cGFJ experienced a 18.4% decrease in weight, a 13–17% decrease in fasting blood glucose, a three-fold decrease in fasting serum insulin, and a 38% decrease in liver triacylglycerol values, compared to controls. Mice fed a low-fat diet that drank cGFJ experienced a two-fold decrease in fasting insulin, but not the other outcomes observed with the high-fat diet. cGFJ consumption decreased blood glucose to a similar extent as the commonly used anti-diabetic drug metformin. Introduction of cGFJ after onset of diet-induced obesity also reduced weight and blood glucose. A bioactive compound in cGFJ, naringin, reduced blood glucose and improved insulin tolerance, but did not ameliorate weight gain. These data from a well-controlled animal study indicate that GFJ contains more than one health-promoting neutraceutical, and warrant further studies of GFJ effects in the context of obesity and/or the western diet.”

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108408