Article Summary:
- CoQ10 is vital for maintaining cellular energy production and promoting healthy heart function.
- CoQ10’s naturally poor absorption rate adversely impacts its efficacy.
The aging process is typically associated with the body’s increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Excessive ROS causes oxidative stress and can severely damage cellular components, including DNA, lipids, proteins, and organelle membranes. The decline in the body’s natural antioxidant defense system and the damage caused by ROS contribute negatively to the aging process.
Coenzyme Q10 ( CoQ10) is critical for energy production in all cells. The human body produces most of the CoQ10 it needs for optimal health, and only a small amount of CoQ10 (typically 3-6 mg per day) is obtained through dietary sources.
The body’s ability to synthesize its own CoQ10 decreases with age, and unfortunately, absorption of CoQ10 from food and supplements is limited and variable. Understanding CoQ10’s absorption process and the factors that influence it is key to making an informed choice about whether a CoQ10 nutritional supplement best suits your health needs.
CoQ10 Absorption Rates
| Human studies consistently demonstrate that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has a naturally low absorption rate from dietary sources, primarily due to its hydrophobic nature, large molecular weight, and poor water solubility1. |
The following table highlights the transit time of CoQ10 through the human gastrointestinal tract:2
| Typical CoQ10 Absorption Time | |
|---|---|
| 6 hours | The plasma concentration of ingested CoQ10 peaks after six hours. |
| 12 hours | The complete transit of CoQ10 from the stomach through the small intestines and the lymph to the blood takes 5-8 hours. |
| 33 hours | The absorbed CoQ10 level falls back to half its initial amount in the body. |
The transit time of CoQ10 through the gastrointestinal tract varies among individuals and depends on the types of food eaten. As a result, the normal plasma CoQ10 levels vary from person to person and are typically in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 μg/mL.*
Factors Influencing CoQ10’s Absorption Rate
The following table highlights the factors that can affect CoQ10’s absorption rate:
| Factors Influencing CoQ10’s Absorption Rate | |
|---|---|
| Water insolubility | Due to it being naturally hydrophobic, CoQ10 has poor solubility in water. This low solubility adversely impacts its absorption in the aqueous environment of the gastrointestinal tract. |
| Large molecular size | CoQ10 has a relatively large molecular size, and its structural form contains polymorphic crystals that are not well-absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Human intestinal cells require dispersion of the CoQ10 crystals into single molecules or micelles for absorption. |
| Food matrix | Since CoQ10 is a fat-soluble molecule, it is better absorbed with a meal that contains a fat source. |
With the optimal formulation that enhances CoQ10’s absorption rate, twice daily supplementation with 100 mg of CoQ10 can raise the plasma level of CoQ10 from 0.90 to 3.25 mcg/mL, which is the level required for health-promoting efficacy3,4.
Include an Advanced CoQ10 Supplement in Your Diet
Since CoQ10 can only be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract as individual molecules, elevating the concentration of CoQ10 in a supplement formulation to a significantly higher level is not a feasible approach to enhancing its absorption through traditional delivery methods.
Various innovative approaches have been implemented to enhance CoQ10’s absorption rate. Encasing CoQ10 with cyclodextrins can significantly improve its absorption, suggesting that this delivery method is superior to formulations that feature only uncomplexed CoQ10.
Tesseract Medical Research’s CoQ10 Pro® is an innovative CoQ10 nutritional supplement that uses Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nanotechnology, a cyclodextrin nutrient delivery technology, for the unparalleled absorption of billions of CoQ10 molecules in the intestinal tract. This unprecedented absorption of CoQ10 enables micro-dosing: taking CoQ10 in an amount much smaller than previously required to accomplish the desired health-promoting benefits.
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing solubility, absorption, and bioavailability, and micro-dosing nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they support healthy cardiovascular function.*
References:
1,2Mantle D, Dybring A. Bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10: An Overview of the Absorption Process and Subsequent Metabolism. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(5):386. Published 2020 May 5. doi:10.3390/antiox9050386
3Singh RB, Niaz MA, Kumar A, Sindberg CD, Moesgaard S, Littarru GP. Effect on absorption and oxidative stress of different oral Coenzyme Q10 dosages and intake strategy in healthy men. Biofactors. 2005;25(1-4):219-224. doi:10.1002/biof.5520250127
4Martucci A, Reurean-Pintilei D, Manole A. Bioavailability and Sustained Plasma Concentrations of CoQ10 in Healthy Volunteers by a Novel Oral Timed-Release Preparation. Nutrients. 2019;11(3):527. Published 2019 Feb 28. doi:10.3390/nu11030527
