As a pharmacist and a clinical nutritionist, I can see the possibilities of food and dietary supplements as a form of medicine. For example, I am very interested in the health benefits of probiotics. I am intrigued by the manufacturing process that produces probiotic supplements that mimic the activity of our gastrointestinal tract processing food. By that, I mean our GI tract’s use of bacteria to ferment fibers in foods to produce post-biotic metabolites.

Low Absorption of Many CoQ10 Supplements

I am also an advocate of the nutritional supplement Coenzyme Q10, which is produced from pure natural yeast in a fermentation process.

The active substance in the best Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both bsynthesized 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... Read more about this term nutritional supplements is a natural substance that is extracted in a yeast fermentation process; the Coenzyme Q10 is not a synthetic substance.

The CoQ10 molecules in the best nutritional supplements are the same molecules as the CoQ10 molecules synthesized inside the mitochondriaThe mitochondria are the bean-shaped organelles in the cells. They are the key organelles with responsibility for the production of ATP energy molecules.... Read more about this term in human cells.

As we get older, our cells’ ability to synthesize Coenzyme Q10 declines. Furthermore, the use of some drugs such as statin medications inhibits the cells’ synthesis of Coenzyme Q10.  We need a good supplement to make up for the loss.

A US supplements manufacturer reports that its testing shows some of the CoQ10 supplements sold on amazon.com do not contain the quantity of Coenzyme Q10 indicated on the product label [Schultz, 2020, May 14].

The testing shows that seven of the ten tested products had less than 80% potency. These seven named products are not products from major sellers of CoQ10 supplements in the USA.

The other three tested products tested are labeled “X Brand” in the test report. These three products are said to contain 93%, 96.5%, and 86% of the declared active ingredient [NOW® Testing].

There are numerous enzyme systems at work in the body to convert ubiquinone, the oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10, to ubiquinol, the reduced form of Coenzyme Q10.  Despite marketing claims to the contrary, it is not necessary to take a ubiquinol supplement to get sufficient ubiquinol in the body [Mantle & Dybring 2020].  No worries there.

This is the take-home message in a peer-reviewed journal article published on May 5, 2020, in the Antioxidants journal [Mantle & Dybring 2020].

Ubiquinone (Oxidized Form) and Ubiquinol (Reduced Form)

Coenzyme Q10 molecules are redox molecules. In the body, they convert back and forward between their oxidized form, ubiquinone, and their reduced form, ubiquinol.  What does that mean, oxidized and reduced?

Fact: Without decent absorption and bio-availability of our CoQ10 supplement, we cannot hope to get good heart health effects.

Fact: There is much variability from one CoQ10 supplement to another. It is important to choose a CoQ10 supplement for which there is documented evidence of absorption and bio-availability as well as published evidence of improvement of heart health signs and symptoms.

Sadly, the claims for the absorption of many CoQ10 supplements have been greatly exaggerated in many cases.

Even if they are made from the same raw material, the CoQ10 products on the US retail market are very diverse in terms of their absorption and in terms of their health effects. 

We, as consumers, need to see documentation, preferably in peer-reviewed scientific journals, for the absorption and efficacy of the CoQ10 product we buy.

The form of the retail Coenzyme Q10 product can be different (either the ubiquinone form or the ubiquinol form), and the formulation can be different (different carrier oils and different heating and cooling processes).

Absorption of the Coenzyme Q10 in commercial nutritional supplements varies considerably.  The dissolution of the CoQ10 crystals and the absorption of the Coenzyme Q10 molecules depend upon the composition of the oil matrix and the formulation of the CoQ10 nutritional supplement.  The manufacturer of a CoQ10 supplement must deal with raw material that is very difficult to work with.

Coenzyme Q10 Soluble in Lipids at Higher Temperatures

Coenzyme Q10 is practically insoluble in water but is soluble in lipids; however, no individual lipids have been found in which 100 milligrams of Coenzyme Q10 can be dissolved so that the dissolved Coenzyme Q10 molecules inside the nutritional supplement capsules will not re-crystallize at normal storage temperatures: typically, between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.