In a study published in the journal Neural Computation, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine reported the supplement was effective in treating symptoms of the condition in a clinical trial involving 46 veterans diagnosed with Gulf War illness.
 

About one-third of the 700,000 United States troops who fought in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War have subsequently developed a distinct set of chronic health problems, dubbed Gulf War illness. Their symptoms, from fatigue, muscle pain and weakness to decreased cognitive function and gastrointestinal and skin problems, persist decades after the conflict.
 

"Gulf War illness is not the same as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, signature illnesses of later deployments, which are caused by psychological and mechanical injury, respectively," said lead researcher Beatrice Golomb. "Evidence instead links Gulf War illness to chemical exposures, such as pesticides or pills given to soldiers to protect them from possible nerve agents. These chemicals can damage mitochondria, which generate the energy our cells need to do their jobs. When these powerhouses of the cells are disrupted, it can produce symptoms compatible with those seen in Gulf War illness."
 

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant made by the body to support basic cell functions, including directly assisting mitochondrial energy production. Over a course of three and a half months, the veterans in the study received a pill form of either CoQ10 or a placebo.
 

The results showed that 80 percent of those who received 100 milligrams of CoQ10 had improvement in physical function. The degree of improvement correlated to the degree in which CoQ10 levels in the blood increased.
 

The researchers reported that Gulf War illness symptoms like headaches, fatigue with exertion, irritability, recall problems, and muscle pain also improved.
 

"The statistical significance of these benefits, despite the small sample size, underscores the large magnitude of the effects," Dr. Golomb said. "Mounting evidence suggests findings in Gulf War illness are relevant to toxin-induced health problems in the civilian sector, so what we learn by studying health challenges of these veterans, will likely benefit others."