CoQ10 Ubiquinol Basics
Posted by DS DC on Aug 3rd 2022
CoQ-10 and Ubiquinol
Take CoQ10 with any Statin
In a previous blog we talked about the need for taking CoQ10 if you are taking a statin or red yeast rice formula along with some suggested levels of supplementation based on age and health status.Studies have shown that 6 months of statin therapy is likely to lower CoQ10 levels by 50%. This is a bit ironic considering you are trying to protect the heart that is one of the major users of CoQ10. I think it is important to understand CoQ10 more generally so you can understand how this important supplement might help you achieve you health goals.
Ubiquinone is CoQ10
You might see references to ubiquinone but this is just another name for CoQ10. Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10. The body seems to be able to readily convert one to the other and back as needed. Some studies show the ubiquinol gets into the blood faster but after a couple of hours, there is little difference between taking ubiquinol and ubiquinone.
Our advice is to not stress about which type you take unless you have a problem with one form or the other and find the other form works better for your body.
CoQ10 Essential in Energy Production
CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell of the body and is especially important in the mitrochondria where our cells make most of their energy. ATP is the energy currency of the cell and CoQ10 is an important link in the energy production chain that produces ATP. Decreasing levels of CoQ10 will lower your ability to manufacture ATP in your mitochondria.
Over 1000 Scientific References to CoQ10
A quick search of CoQ10 supplementation on pubmed (2022) shows over 1200 recent peer reviewed articles (148 million google links) and has been studied extensively since it was discovered in 1957. Peter Mitchell was awarded a Nobel Prize for working out how CoQ10 works in the cell. Recent studies confirm its positive effects on the heart muscle. Side note: if you looked at 1000 google links per day you would get through today’s list in about 400 years. If you looked at the peer-reveiwed studies at the pace of 10 per day, you are looking at 24 weeks if you take off weekends.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a naturally occurring oil-soluble, vitamin-like substance which is absolutely essential for optimum health and longevity. Also known as ubiquinone, CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell in the body, primarily in cellular mitochondria, and it is a vital component of the electron transport chain which generates 95 percent of the body's energy via adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Your Heart Needs CoQ10
The tissues with the highest CoQ10 requirements are heart, liver and kidney.So no surprise that this is where you will find the highest concentrations. CoQ10 has been shown to be beneficial for helping ease problems of congestive heart failure and also helps survivability after cardiac arrest.
Our CoQ10 levels peak when we are in our 20’s and then drop off decade by decade until they reach maybe 50% of ideal levels by the age of 80.
CoQ10 Helps Cell Health in Other Ways Too
CoQ10 is an important antioxidant especially in the world of fats and proteins. It also helps activate the benefits of vitamin E. Some studies indicate that CoQ10 may help support basic DNA health which can contribute to better health and longevity.Although cancer is complex assortment of diseases, many cancer patients also have lower than ideal CoQ10 levels so we wonder if low CoQ10 and resulting oxidation problems might be a factor in the development of some tumors.
It is not likely that most people will be able to keep their CoQ10 levels up with dietary sources. Most will need to supplement.
Supplementation and food sources for CoQ10
In addition to the body, CoQ10 is also found in relatively
small amounts in a wide variety of foods, with the highest amounts found in
organ meats such as heart,
liver and kidney, as well as beef, sardines, mackerel, and peanuts. Other food
items with modest amounts of CoQ10 include grapeseed oil, walnuts, hazelnuts,
pistachios, parsley, spinach, sesame seeds, olive oil and avocado.
Food sources alone are probably not enough for those deficient in CoQ10. To put
dietary CoQ10 intake into perspective, one pound of sardines, two pounds of
beef, or two and one half pounds of peanuts, provide only 30 mg of CoQ10.
Supplementaion Shown To Be Very Safe
Fortunately, no known toxicity or side effects have been observed in
supplemental CoQ10. CoQ10 shows a moderate variability in its absorption, with
some patients attaining good blood levels of CoQ10 on 100 mg per day while
others require two or three times this amount to attain the same blood level.
Supplementation with CoQ10 has been studied in amounts as high as 3600 mg per
day with largely only gastrointestinal side effects observed. The observed safe
level (OSL) risk assessment method indicated evidence of safety is strong at
intakes up to 1200 mg/day.
Choose a Quality Company
I have seen references to looking for trans form of CoQ10. Trans configuration is the type our body can use. If you have a combination of cis and trans, only half will be readily available to the body. Only a few high quality brands make this distinction. To me this means that if it is a cheap product, it may not even have much CoQ10 at all and but it costs about the same to get the trans vs the cis + trans form. In summary, if it is cheap, don’t bother. If it is from a trusted company like the ones we carry on OVitaminPro like NuMedica, Protocol, Pure Encapsulations, Karuna etc. you can trust that you getting what you expect.