Most people are unaware of vitamin C’s key role in mental health and mood. According to a large population study that is published in Frontiers in Nutrition, having higher levels of vitamin C in the blood is linked to a lower risk of depression. The official dietary recommendations for vitamin C only focus on preventing the potentially lethal deficiency disease called scurvy, and things like stress, ageing, stimulant use, overweight, infections, and chronic illnesses can increase your need for the nutrient.
Swedish scientists behind amazing discovery:
Here is the formula for quality of life in seniors
Besides cutting the number cardiovascular deaths in half, elderly people who take supplements of selenium and coenzyme Q10 have better quality of life, are less prone to disease, and have more energy than those who do not take the supplements.
In 2012 when Swedish researchers published the astounding results of their KiSel-10 study in the International Journal of Cardiology, it made headlines worldwide: By giving healthy elderly people a daily combo of selenium and coenzyme Q10, it was possible to cut cardiovascular mortality by 54% in addition to improving heart muscle functioning substantially. The scientists behind the study were dumbfounded by these results but, apparently, there is more to the story.
Felt better physically and mentally
In a secondary analysis of the data collected for the original study, the KiSel-10 team of researchers has managed to demonstrate that the elderly men and women who took selenium and coenzyme Q10 spent 13% fewer days in hospital compared with the participants who took identical "dummy" pills with an inert placebo. Moreover, their quality of life was better, they performed better physically, and they had more vitality and mental surplus. All in all, by crunching more numbers and applying a different statistical method, the researchers found further support for the benefits of taking selenium and coenzyme Q10.
Prevention is a keyword
Both the original KiSel-10 study as well as the secondary follow-up deliver excellent proof that selenium and coenzyme Q10 are important nutrients for preventing some of the conditions that people normally risk later in life, and which may require medical attention. With increased energy levels and better heart function, seniors are far more likely to carry on with an active lifestyle that keeps them in good shape. This, essentially, is the key to effective prevention of physical and mental decline.
Source:
Improved health-related quality of life, and more days out of hospital with supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined. Results from a double blind, placebo-controlled prospective study
Peter Johansson, Ö. Dahlström, U. Dahlström, U. Alehagen
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, April 1. 2015
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"After about one week of taking the Q10 supplement I could feel a huge difference," says 23-year old Alan Piccini, who has been suffering from extreme fatigue and muscle aches ever since he was a child.
“Taking capsules with co-enzyme Q10 has freed me of the severe side effects of my cholesterol lowering medicine,” Mrs Franken explains.