Are you looking for the most effective Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplement to promote the health of your heart? Did you know that CoQ10 is one of the most frequently consumed nutritional supplements for heart health across the globe?
CoQ10 is an antioxidant that your body naturally makes to support a wide range of health functions, including the healthy functioning of the heart, immune system, reproductive system, and skin. On a cellular level, CoQ10 plays two critical roles: cellular energy production and helping to maintain the body’s normal inflammatory responses.
When you are considering adding a CoQ10 supplement to your daily supplement regimen, the first question to ask is which form of CoQ10 is the most effective? Below, we discuss different CoQ10 types, the most effective CoQ10 supplement, and why you should include an advanced CoQ10 supplement in your regimen/routine/plan.
How Does CoQ10 Support Health Functions?
Are you aware of the adverse health conditions that can arise from having a low level of CoQ10? Research indicates that CoQ10’s level naturally dips as we age1. Because CoQ10 is involved in cellular energy production, its low level can cause mitochondrial dysfunction which negatively impacts energy production. Mitochondrial dysfunction in cells of the body’s vital organs, such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and others, can also lead to several adverse health conditions2.
Genetic mutations and certain adverse health conditions can also result in a low CoQ10 level. In addition, certain medications, such as statins used to lower cholesterol levels, can adversely impact CoQ10’s synthesis in the body3.
So, how does CoQ10 support the body’s various health functions? The following table highlights its role in several health functions:
| Health Function | CoQ10 Supplement Benefits |
|---|---|
| Heart | Helps maintain healthy lipid profiles (optimal cholesterol levels) and normal blood pressure.Limits oxidative stress to protect heart muscle tissues.Helps mitigate muscle aches and weakness — the side effects of many statin medications4. |
| Skin | Promotes healthy skin by enhancing the metabolism of aging skin cells5. Stimulates the synthesis of collagen — a critical protein the body uses to grow new skin. Helps maintain the skin’s stability and elasticity.* |
| Reproductive Health | Enhances the quality of immature egg cells (oocytes).Supports a favorable environment for the healthy development of ovarian follicles6. |
| Immune System | Helps maintain the body’s natural inflammatory response.Plays a critical function within the lysosome, a key cellular structure involved in the body’s normal immune responses.Supports optimal functioning of immune cells by enhancing cellular energy production. |
CoQ10 Supplement Types
In the previous section, we discussed potential causes of CoQ10’s level depletion. To summarize, the most likely causes are aging, certain pathologies, and genetic predispositions.
If your body’s CoQ10 level is low, consuming it through diet alone may not be sufficient to replete levels for optimal function. Therefore, a nutritional supplement can help replenish a depleted or suboptimal CoQ10 level.
But what is the most effective type of CoQ10 supplement? CoQ10 nutritional supplements are usually available as:
- Capsules
- Liquid syrups
- Chewable tablets
- Softgels
- Intravenous drips
- Wafers
Although the intravenous administration of CoQ10 enhances its absorption, oral CoQ10 supplements are still widely popular because of the convenience of taking a capsule or tablet without the need for ongoing medical supervision. It is still advised to start any new supplementation under the guidance of a licensed medical professional.
So, how can you realize the benefits of an oral CoQ10 supplement? The answer lies in the type of formulation.
What Should You Choose — Ubiquinol or Ubiquinone?
If you are looking for a CoQ10 supplement at your local pharmacy or online, then you will likely come across formulations that contain either ubiquinol or ubiquinone, which are two types of Coq10. The reduced form being ubiquinol and the oxidized form being ubiquinone. Your body converts between these two forms as needed to perform its functions, which include cellular energy production and acting as an antioxidant. Which CoQ10 form should you choose?
The following table highlights how ubiquinol and ubiquinone differ at a chemical level:
| Ubiquinol versus Ubiquinone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ubiquinol | Ubiquinone | |
| Chemical form | It is the reduced form of CoQ10. | It is the oxidized form of CoQ10. |
| Function | It provides antioxidant protection to cellular membrane lipids and lipoprotein lipids. | It is involved in the electron transport chain in the inner membranes of mitochondria — the key cellular component for energy production. |
So, which of these two forms of CoQ10 is more absorbable? It was assumed initially that ubiquinol enhances absorption because of the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol in gastrointestinal cells. However, research now indicates there is no significant difference between their respective absorption and subsequent bioavailability—the amount of CoQ10 entering the systemic circulation to exert therapeutic effects7.
Conventionally, CoQ10 supplements have been formulated only in the ubiquinone form because ubiquinol is unstable in nature. However, innovative encapsulation technologies have developed CoQ10 nanoformulations that contain the ubiquinol form.
Absorption Challenges of CoQ10 Supplements
It is worth noting that irrespective of the form, solubilized formulations of CoQ10 have a superior bioavailability than unformulated CoQ108. Yet, several CoQ10 supplement formulations do not achieve the desired beneficial outcomes because of CoQ10’s poor natural absorption and bioavailability.
Single CoQ10 capsules are available in 30 mg to 600 mg amounts. However, increasing the CoQ10 concentration per capsule to a significantly high level is not a feasible approach to enhancing its absorption through traditional delivery methods.
So, why is CoQ10 poorly absorbed? Here are the factors that impact its absorption and bioavailability:
- Molecular weight: The relatively high molecular weight of CoQ10 adversely influences its absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Instability: As mentioned in the previous section, the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is relatively unstable, which adversely impacts its absorption.
- Limited solubility: CoQ10 displays only limited solubility in lipids, and it is insoluble in water. Notably, the gastrointestinal environment is primarily aqueous, so the insolubility of CoQ10 in water significantly impacts its absorption.
Identifying the Most Effective CoQ10 Supplement
Most CoQ10 nutritional supplements are produced through the yeast fermentation process. However, is every CoQ10 supplement developed equally and do they provide the desired benefits? The answer to both questions is: no. In actuality, the efficiency of a CoQ10 supplement depends on how it is formulated.
Identifying the most effective CoQ10 supplement is critical to achieving CoQ10’s many health-promoting benefits. When considering a CoQ10 nutritional supplement, you should consider:
- Absorption: Chemically, CoQ10 exists in large, unstructured crystals that are not well-absorbed by the body. A supplement formulation that enhances CoQ10 absorption should dissociate the large crystals into single molecules throughout the supplement’s shelf life9.
- Bioavailability: The bioavailability of a CoQ10 supplement depends on the carrier lipids used in the formulation and its solubilization.
Including An Innovative CoQ10 Supplement Formulation in Your Routine/Regimen/
Now that you know that traditional delivery methods don’t work well for CoQ10 absorption in oral supplement formulations, the next question is what types of CoQ10 formulations do work? The following are several pharmacological approaches that have enhanced the solubility of CoQ10 formulations, including:
- Nanoparticles
- Microcapsules
- Solid dispersion systems
- Nano-liposomes
- Cyclodextrin inclusion compounds
Encasing CoQ10 molecules with cyclodextrins has been found to significantly enhance absorption and bioavailability, indicating the superiority of this delivery process to formulations that feature uncomplexed CoQ10.
The innovative CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery nanotechnology developed by Tesseract Medical Research optimizes the absorption and bioavailability of CoQ10 in the gastrointestinal tract, making it a significantly effective CoQ10 supplement. CoQ10 Pro® — Tesseract’s formulation for promoting cardiovascular health — achieves unprecedented absorption of CoQ10 molecules, thus enabling micro-dosing — taking CoQ10 in an amount much less than previously required to accomplish the desired benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Effective CoQ10 Supplement
Can I take a CoQ10 supplement with a prescription medicine?
Although CoQ10 is relatively safe as an oral nutritional supplement, it can interact with some prescription medicines. Consult your health-care provider before including a CoQ10 supplement in your routine/regimen.
Can I take a CoQ10 supplement while pregnant or breastfeeding?
There is limited data on the safety of using CoQ10 during pregnancy and breastfeeding, therefore it is recommended to consult your health-care provider before taking a CoQ10 supplement during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing solubility, absorption, and bioavailability, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they support your heart health.*
References:
1Barcelos, et al. Biology vol. 8,2 28. 11 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/biology8020028
2https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/mitochondrial-disorders
3Rundek, Tatjana et al. Archives of neurology vol. 61,6 (2004): 889-92. doi:10.1001/archneur.61.6.889
4Skarlovnik, Ajda et al. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research vol. 20 2183-8. 6 Nov. 2014, doi:10.12659/MSM.890777
5Lain, Edward Ted et al.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology vol. 17,8 (2024): 50-55.
6Ben-Meir, Assaf et al. Aging cell vol. 14,5 (2015): 887-95. doi:10.1111/acel.12368
7,9Mantle, David, and Alex Dybring. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 9,5 386. 5 May. 2020, doi:10.3390/antiox9050386
8Pravst, Igor et al. Nutrients vol. 12,3 784. 16 Mar. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12030784
