Coenzyme Q10 for Energy & General Health

This is the brand and quantity I will be using.

In this experiment, I will be taking 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 daily to see whether it has any noticeable effects.

CoQ10, often touted as a heart health supplement, is present in most human cells and is responsible for the production of the body's own energy. It is a potent free radical scavenger and has been reported to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. In rats it has been shown to protect from age-related DNA double-strand breaks and increase lifespan when combined with a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unfortunately, there is no mention in the study whether CoQ10 is effective in other kinds of diets as well.

The 200 mg capsule from Natrol is the strongest form I could find on eBay. I haven't come across any adverse effects from taking that amount daily, so that's what I'm going for. One bottle has 45 gel capsules, and I've got two bottles, so if everything goes smoothly, this experiment should last about four months (this includes the days I forget or am unable to take a capsule for some reason).

For more information on coenzyme Q10, see these posts:

Coenzyme Q10 for Energy & General Health - Results after One Week
Coenzyme Q10, Exercise and Oxidative Stress
The Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Oral Health
How to Choose Between Different Forms of Coenzyme Q10: Ubiquinone vs. Ubiquinol

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Topical Tea Tree Oil for Hair Growth - Results after One Month

The oil from tea trees is said to have antiandogenic properties. (Photo by girlnagun)

So far, I've seen no results from my tea tree oil experiment - that is, the one where I rub tea tree oil mixed with sesame oil on one of my legs to see whether it's antiandrogenic.

I must admit there have been some days I haven't applied this secret formula on my leg, but still, the results have been disappointing. I'm not sure how good a carrier oil sesame seed oil really is, so yesterday I mixed tea tree oil with some melted cocoa butter and used that instead.

I also added some korean red ginseng extract, which has been shown to increase hair growth in mice. There's also a patent claim that says it's effective in promoting function of cell activity. It is suggested in the patent claim that these two combined might bring improved results.

The stuff they used in the mouse study and the stuff I ordered is an alcoholic extract, however, so I'm not sure how it really mixes with the cocoa butter. It seemed to dissolve alright, but I'm no chemist, so who knows. I took a risk and applied it to a part of my scalp as well.

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Biotin Supplements for Hair & Nails - Results after Two Weeks

You'd have to eat 500 hardboiled eggs to get 5 mg of biotin. (Photo by woodleywonderworks)

So far, there's been no change in my hair and nails after supplementing with 5 mg biotin daily. I think any difference in hair growth would be difficult to spot this soon, but neither nail strength nor nail growth have shown any change either.

My nails have always been quite brittle and short - perhaps in part due to the fact that I used to bite them - so anything that makes them stronger would be most welcome. On the other hand, it makes experiments like this easy, as any positive change would be noticeable.

I think I'll finish the bottle but I'm not expecting much.

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