Marketers continue to make many unsubstantiated and misleading claims for the ubiquinol version of Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More supplements. As long ago as 2007, Dr. William Judy, the founder and president of the SIBR Research Institute, wrote a seminal article revealing the facts and fabrications that existed in marketing texts for ubiquinol products. So far, no one has refuted the points that Dr. Judy made [Judy 2007].
CoQ10 formulation more important than CoQ10 form
Now, in 2018, we have the results of the double-blind, cross-over study done in Sevilla, Spain. That study showed that a well-formulated ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More supplement gave a significantly better bio-availability than did a well-formulated ubiquinol supplement. That the ubiquinol supplement itself was well formulated is evidenced by the fact that the ubiquinol product out-performed other less well formulated ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More products [Lopez-Lluch 2018].
Please note: Not all CoQ10 products on the market are the same formulation and same composition. There is considerable variation. In the Lopez-Lluch study, five out of the six tested formulations did not perform well enough [Lopez-Lluch 2018].
Misleading claims for ubiquinol products
A recent article published by Professor Enno Freye in the Advances in Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal lays out some of the misleading marketing claims for ubiquinol products [Freye & Strobel 2018].
Here, below, are the author’s refutations of typical claims made for ubiquinol products.
A. Claim: Ubiquinol is the only active form of Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More.
Fact: Both forms of CoQ10 – ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More and ubiquinol – are active forms.
B. Claim: Ubiquinol is the only form responsible for energy production.
Fact: UbiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More is the first co-factor in the process of cellular energy production. Without ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More, there is no energy production.
C. Claim: Ubiquinol is much better absorbed than ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More.
Fact: This claim is not based on head-to-head comparison studies. Now the head-to-head comparison study done by Professor Lopez-Lluch and his colleagues in Sevilla, Spain, has shown that the well-formulated ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More CoQ10 preparation gives superior absorption to a well-formulated ubiquinol preparation [Lopez-Lluch 2018].
The ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More CoQ10 preparation that performed best in the Spanish study is the same preparation that was used in the randomized controlled trialsRandomized controlled trials are studies in which patients or healthy volunteers are assigned at random (purely by chance) to receive one or more clinical interventions. One or more of the interventions is the active treatment being tested. Another of the interventions is the control against which the active treatment is being tested. The control is, typically, the standard practice or... More, the Q-Symbio study [Mortensen 2014] and the KiSel-10 study [Alehagen 2013].
D. Claim: Ubiquinol is synthesized in a multi-step process in the body.
Fact: It is the ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More form of CoQ10 that the body synthesizes in a 17-step process. There is only one step in the conversion from the ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More to ubiquinol in the body, with an intermediate formation of a semi-quinone (ubisemiquinonesee redox molecule.) molecule. The conversion of ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More to ubiquinol being facilitated by the oxi-reductase enzymesOxi-reductase enzymes are the enzymes that stimulate the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol in the lymph, blood, and cell mitochondria. Free radicals and super-oxides stimulate the conversion of ubiquinol back to ubiquinone. More.
E. Claim: The producers of the ubiquinol products have found a way to make the ubiquinol stable.
Fact: By nature, ubiquinol is very unstable, given its antioxidantAntioxidants are substances that protect the cells and lipoproteins against the harmful effects of free radicals. They are substances that prevent the oxidation of other molecules and compounds. There are two broad categories of antioxidants: enzymatic and non-enzymatic. Non-enzymatic antioxidants are substances like Coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and various carotenoids. Prominent enzymatic antioxidants include catalase, glutathione peroxidase,... More property. It is very difficult to contain ubiquinol in a soft-gel capsule and keep it from oxidizing.
Indeed, Dr. Judy has tested 12 of the ubiquinol products on the market in the USA and has found various degrees of conversion of the ubiquinol to ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More inside the capsules. The ubiquinol product with the least degree of conversion was the ubiquinol product tested in the Lopez-Lluch study [Judy 2018].
F. Claim: Everyone over the age of 40 or 45 years should take a ubiquinol product.
Fact: There are no human studies that support this claim. None. Instead, there are references to studies that show a decline in the ubiquinol-ubiquinone ratio in senior citizens. The explanation for the reduced ratio could well be the accumulating oxidative stress in older adults [Del Pozo-Cruz 2014].
G. Claim: Ubiquinol supplements are safe and well-tolerated.
Fact: Most probably, the ubiquinol supplements do supply a CoQ10 that is safe and well-tolerated. The misleading part of this claim is that the safety and toxicological studies of CoQ10 have been done with the ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More form, not the ubiquinol form. The consumer is led to assume that ubiquinol products have been tested in the way that ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More has. They have not.
How to distinguish ubiquinol from ubiquinone CoQ10
Ubiquinol has a creamy milky-white appearance. That is what you should see if you cut open a ubiquinol softgel capsule.
If the contents of the ubiquinol softgel capsule have taken on a yellowish to orange-ish color, then you know that the ubiquinol you paid for has converted to ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More.
In any case, Dr. Judy’s lab studies and large dog studies have shown that oral ubiquinol is converted to the ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More form of CoQ10 in the stomach and small intestines prior to absorption. That is to say, the oral ubiquinol is absorbed in the ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More form. It is then converted back to the ubiquinol form in the lymph on the way to the blood circulation [Judy 2018].
Why buy the ubiquinol form?
In his article, Professor Enno Freye uses the words “marketing ploy” and “misleading” and “hoax” to describe the marketing claims for the alleged superiority of the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 as a supplement.
Remember: Professor Freye’s field of expertise at the University of Duesseldorf in Germany is galenics. Galenics is the study of preparing and compounding medicines in ways that optimize their absorption. If Professor Freye cannot see any reason to buy ubiquinol supplements instead of ubiquinoneUbiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, expressed as Q10 or CoQ10, is absolutely essential for the mitochondrial ATP energy production process. Ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that the body synthesizes, and ubiquinone is the form of Coenzyme Q10 that has been extensively tested for safety, absorption, and efficacy in clinical trials. More CoQ10 supplements, then we need to sit up and take notice [Freye & Strobel 2018].
Likewise, Dr. William Judy, SIBR Research Institute, whose fields of expertise are physiology and bio-physics, is on record as saying he cannot see the merit in many of the marketing claims made for ubiquinol products. There is simply not enough scientific documentation behind the claims.
Sources
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Del Pozo-Cruz, J., Rodríguez-Bies, E., Navas-Enamorado, I., Del Pozo-Cruz, B., Navas, P., & López-Lluch, G. (2014). Relationship between functional capacity and body mass index with plasma coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More and oxidative damage in community-dwelling elderly-people. Experimental Gerontology, 52, 46-54.
Freye, E.Ch.K. & Strobel, H. P. (2018). The Whole truth about Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More you may not find elsewhere. Adv Complement Alt Med. 2(2). 2/10ACAM.000531.2018.
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Lopez-Lluch, G., del Pozo-Cruz, J., Sanchez-Cuesta, A., Cortes-Rodriguez, A.B. & Navas, P. (2018). Bioavailability of coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More supplements depends on carrier lipids and solubilization, Nutrition, doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.05.020
Mortensen, S. A., Rosenfeldt, F., Kumar, A., Dolliner, P., Filipiak, K. J., Pella, D., & Littarru, G. P. (2014). The effect of coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both synthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... More on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failureThe Mayo Clinic defines heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure and/or chronic heart failure, as the failure of the heart muscle to pump blood to the body adequately. In other words, heart failure is not a heart attack, and it is not death from heart disease, which its name might seem to imply. Heart failure is a condition... More: results from Q-SYMBIO: a randomized double-blindA double-blind study is a study in which neither the investigators nor the study participants know which participants are receiving the active treatment and which participants are receiving the control treatment until the study has been completed and the seal on the code has been broken. More trial. JACC. Heart FailureThe Mayo Clinic defines heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure and/or chronic heart failure, as the failure of the heart muscle to pump blood to the body adequately. In other words, heart failure is not a heart attack, and it is not death from heart disease, which its name might seem to imply. Heart failure is a condition... More, 2(6), 641-649.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this review article is not intended as medical advice and should not be construed in that way.
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