Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been getting some attention lately, off the back of a Boots marketing campaign. David Colquhoun has described Boots’ marketing of these pills as “as bad a bit of nutribollocks as I’ve ever seen”, while Ben Goldacre has also criticised the way in which CoQ10 is marketed as a solution to low energy levels. Interestingly, though, Holford was ahead of the curve here: in 1988 his book The Energy Equation proudly proclaimed on the cover that it was “INTRODUCING CO-ENZYME Q”.
Holford is still involved in marketing CoQ10: one can now buy CoQ10 (and Carnitine) Biocare pills with Holford’s face on the bottle (see Coracle’s blog for a critical assessment of Holford’s CoQ10 recommendations). Neutrahealth PLC (who own Biocare) have stated that “CoQ10 expected to perform well in 2008 with year to date sales growth of 35%”.
Patrick Holford’s CV [PDF] states that he “is a pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition”. Here at HolfordWatch, we would have to agree. However, whether those approaches work or not is another question.
9 Comments
March 15, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Did someone say CoQ10?
Dammit, I was there first before these jonny-come-latelies Goldacre and Colquhoun *shakes fist*
March 15, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Kudos, Coracle -perhaps I won’t bother with CoQ10!!
I was a bit tempted since I have worked on both mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress over the years. Perhaps if I go and do some cells-in-a-dish experiments with CoQ10 I will be able to publish them in Patrick’s favourite Alt-organ the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine (aka “J Nutri-twaddle”)
BTW, if you never got the Marcoff Q10 / statinopathy review in Am J Cardiol, and are still interested, let me know.
March 15, 2008 at 11:27 pm
[...] See also, excellent articles on CoQ10 by Ben Goldacre in the Guardian, and at badscience.net, and at Holfordwatch. [...]
March 16, 2008 at 12:23 am
Thanks Coracle – interesting post, and I’ve added a link into the above.
March 17, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Hmm…
Interesting talk…
March 18, 2008 at 10:47 am
OK!!!!
Today David Colquhoun explained me his point of view personally. I make nothing against him longer and I withdraw my words against David Colquhoun.
Dear Holfordwatch.
I ask you delete my comment. David has vindicated that he is worthy to be Professor. He showed that he is real Scotchman ;)
PS. This statement doesn’t concern of Ben Goldacre. He hasn’t proved anything still. However, I have no claim, because I am not interested in him at all. Delete my comment in whole.
March 18, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Oh! More interesting! ;)
March 18, 2008 at 4:01 pm
It seems Colquhon is my future client… ;)
May 29, 2008 at 3:47 am
[...] The Energy Equation and Co-enzyme Q10: Holford the Pioneer. For people with a burning interest to know how humans synthesise their own CoQ10, we recommend [...]