- Are all commercially available CoQ10 supplements alike?
- Ubiquinol or ubiquinone — Which form of CoQ10 works better?
- How should I determine the best CoQ10 supplement to support my heart health?
Get the answers to common questions about how to choose the best CoQ10 supplement, including the different forms of CoQ10 and factors you should consider when determining the right CoQ10 supplement formulation for your health. Use the links below to jump ahead to different topics on the page.
Why Does Your Body Need a CoQ10 Supplement?
What is coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 – or CoQ10 – a lipid-soluble antioxidant your body makes, plays a critical role in cellular energy production.* Its concentration is particularly high in organs that have high metabolism rates, such as the heart, kidneys, and liver.
Why consider a coenzyme Q10 supplement?
The CoQ10 level in your body depletes as you age, from the influence of certain medications, such as statins, or due to different pathological conditions a person might have. Although a CoQ10 deficiency can be partially addressed through a balanced diet of CoQ10-rich foods like oily fish, organ meats, and whole grains, they may not be sufficient to maintain an optimal level of CoQ10 in the body. In such cases, a CoQ10 supplement can help support cellular energy production and overall health.*
How Does a CoQ10 Supplement Support Your Body?
What are the key roles of CoQ10 in cellular functions?
CoQ10 plays a fundamental role in cellular bioenergetics, which enables CoQ10 to address pathologies in tissues with high metabolic requirements, such as the heart muscle.* In addition to energy production, CoQ10 is an antioxidant (a free radical scavenger) that protects cellular components from the adverse effects of oxidative stress.*
The following table summarizes how including a CoQ10 nutritional supplement in your diet will support various health functions:
| Health Function | CoQ10 Supplement Benefits |
| Heart | Helps maintain optimal cholesterol levels and normal blood pressure.*Helps limit oxidative stress to protect heart muscle tissues.*Helps address the side effects of statin medications, such as muscle aches and weakness.* Learn more about choosing between CoQ10 and fish oil for supporting heart health. |
| Skin | Promotes healthy skin by enhancing the cellular metabolism of aging skin cells.* Stimulates collagen synthesis.* Helps maintain the stability and flexibility of the skin.*Learn more about coenzyme Q10’s skin benefits.* |
| Reproductive Health | Enhances the quality of the oocyte — the immature egg cell.*Supports a favorable environment for the development of ovarian follicles.*Learn more about CoQ10’s benefits for women and CoQ10’s beneficial effects on the menstrual cycle.* |
| Immune System | Helps maintain the body’s natural inflammatory response.*Plays a critical function within the lysosome, the organelle central to immune function.*Supports optimal functioning of immune cells with adequate cellular energy production.* Learn more about selecting between quercetin and CoQ10 for supporting immune health.* |
How Much CoQ10 Should I Take Daily?
| The whole body content of CoQ10 is only about 500 – 1,500 milligrams. |
Based on no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) studies1 on CoQ10, the acceptable daily intake of CoQ10 is 12 mg/kg/day, which translates to 720 mg/day for a person weighing 132 pounds.
However, it is worth noting there is no established minimum or maximum effective daily intake. In clinical trials exploring the beneficial effects of CoQ10 on the heart, 100 – 400 mg of CoQ10 was given to the trial participants.
| The average CoQ10 amount necessary to attain an optimal blood level of > 2.5 mcg/mL is 200 mg taken twice daily with a meal.2 |
Commercially available single CoQ10 capsules contain between 30-600 mg of CoQ10.
Are There Side Effects of CoQ10 Supplements?
Because CoQ10 is produced naturally in the body, additional oral supplementation is usually well-tolerated. However, infrequent and generally mild side effects have been reported.
The following table highlights some of the potential side effects of CoQ10 supplementation:
| Potential Side Effects of CoQ10 Supplementation | ||
| Infrequent effects | Gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, stomach upset, vomiting, or diarrhea. | |
| Rare effects | Headache, fatigue, heartburn, irritability, dizziness | |
| Potential contraindications | CoQ10 supplements might interact with prescription medicines for blood thinning, kidney disorders, liver disorders, and glucose metabolism. | |
Ubiquinone or Ubiquinol—Which CoQ10 Form Works Better?
Commercially available CoQ10 supplements are generally available in the form of ubiquinone or ubiquinol. There is ongoing debate about the most effective form of CoQ10 supplementation. CoQ10 exists in three oxidation states:
- The fully oxidized Ubiquinone form (CoQ10)
- The fully reduced Ubiquinol form (CoQ10H2)
- The radical Ubisemiquinone intermediate (CoQ10H)
The ubiquinone and ubiquinol forms coexist in the body and regenerate each other through sequential redox reactions. Ubisemiquinone is a highly unstable, intermediate form of CoQ10. Ubiquinone and ubiquinol are interconverted based on the body’s need for the optimal functioning of its cells. Under the action of gastric acid, ubiquinol is oxidized to ubiquinone before it is absorbed into the body.
Regardless of the initial dietary intake form of CoQ10 (either ubiquinone or ubiquinol), it remains in the blood and in the lymph in the ubiquinol form. The following table highlights some of the key differences between the ubiquinone and ubiquinol forms of CoQ10:
| Ubiquinone or Ubiquinol—Which One Works Better? | ||
| Ubiquinone | Ubiquinol | |
| Chemical form | The oxidized form of CoQ10 (CoQ10) | The reduced form of CoQ10 (CoQ10H2) |
| Function | Involved in the electron transport chain in mitochondrial inner membranes for energy production. | Antioxidant protection to cellular membrane lipids and lipoprotein lipids present in circulation. |
Several clinical studies establish there is no significant difference in the bioavailability of ubiquinone and ubiquinol.
Poor Absorption of CoQ10 Supplements
CoQ10 supplements are mostly available for oral intake in the form of chewable tablets, capsules, liquid syrups, and oral sprays. However, CoQ10’s poor natural absorption in the intestine adversely affects its efficacy through the oral route.
| Only approximately 3-6% of orally administered CoQ10 is absorbed in humans.3-5 |
The poor oral bioavailability and absorption of CoQ10 in supplements are due to:
- The molecular weight of CoQ10: Ubiquinol molecules have a relatively high molecular weight that adversely affects their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Limited solubility: Although CoQ10 is technically a lipophilic compound, it only displays limited solubility in lipids, and it is insoluble in water.
- Instability: The ubiquinol form is relatively unstable and also adversely affects CoQ10 absorption in the body.
Choosing the Best CoQ10 Supplement
CoQ10 nutritional supplements are generally produced through the yeast fermentation process. However, not all CoQ10 supplements are developed equally for optimal efficacy. When it comes to determining the best CoQ10 supplement to include in your diet, the following factors should be considered:
- Bioavailability: Enhancing CoQ10’s bioavailability is the key to effective supplementation. A CoQ10 supplement’s bioavailability largely depends on carrier lipids and the solubilization of the formulation. The proportion and addition of preservatives, such as vitamin C, to supplement formulations also affect the bioavailability of CoQ10.
- Absorption: CoQ10 can only be absorbed in the body as individual molecules. Raw CoQ10 is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Elevating CoQ10 concentration per capsule to a significantly higher level is not a feasible approach to enhance its absorption through traditional delivery methods.
Novel CoQ10 Supplement Formulations
| The bioavailability and absorption of CoQ10 depend on the type of supplement formulation. |
Conventional CoQ10 formulations have failed to enhance CoQ10’s bioavailability. Various novel approaches6 as an alternative to traditional delivery methods have been implemented to enhance CoQ10’s solubility, including:
- Solid dispersion systems
- Nanoparticles
- Cyclodextrin inclusion compounds
- Microcapsules
- Nano-liposomes
Among these novel approaches, encasing CoQ10 with cyclodextrins can significantly enhance CoQ10’s absorption and bioavailability, suggesting that this delivery process is superior to formulations that feature only uncomplexed CoQ10.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About CoQ10 Supplements
The following are frequently asked questions about how to choose the best CoQ10 supplement:
Can I take a CoQ10 supplement with a prescription medicine?
Although the safety profile of CoQ10 is well-established, it can interact with prescription medicines. Consult your healthcare provider before including a CoQ10 supplement in your diet.
Can I take a CoQ10 supplement while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Because there is limited safety data on the use of CoQ10 during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is recommended to consult your healthcare provider before taking a CoQ10 supplement during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
How do I choose the best CoQ10 supplement?
When considering the best CoQ10 supplement to choose, keep in mind that the supplement’s efficacy will be determined by the delivery technology used in the formulation.
Tesseract Medical Research’s CoQ10 Pro® is an innovative CoQ10 nutritional supplement that uses the proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nanotechnology nutrient delivery 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 bioavailability and absorption, and micro-dosing of multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Visit our website for more information about how Tesseract’s products can support your cardiovascular health.*
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing bioavailability and absorption, and micro-dosing of multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Visit our website for more information about how Tesseract’s products can help support your cardiovascular health
References:
1Hidaka T, et al. Safety assessment of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). BioFactors (Oxford, England) vol. 32,1-4 (2008):199-208. doi:10.1002/biof.5520320124
2Raizner AE. Coenzyme Q10. Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal vol. 15,3(2019):185-191. doi:10.14797/mdcj-15-3-185
3Bhagavan HN, Chopra RK. Coenzyme Q10: absorption, tissue uptake, metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Free Radic Res. 2006;40(5):445-453. doi:10.1080/10715760600617843
4López-Lluch G, Del Pozo-Cruz J, Sánchez-Cuesta A, Cortés-Rodríguez AB, Navas P. Bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 supplements depends on carrier lipids and solubilization. Nutrition. 2019;57:133-140. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2018.05.020
5Mantle 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
6Pastor-Maldonado CJ, et al. Coenzyme Q10: Novel formulations and medical trends. International Journal of Molecular Sciences vol. 21,22 8432. 10 Nov. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijms21228432
