CoQ10 products are not equally well absorbed. They do not give equally good health benefits. The bioavailability and the efficacy of the CoQ10 product varies considerably according to the formulation of the product. Consumers of CoQ10 products should seek out documentation for bioavailability and health benefits.
The CoQ10 Association has announced plans to test every 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 product on the market in the US for potency and purity [Schultz 2020, August 13]. If all goes according to plan, the project will be completed by the end of 2020. We look forward to seeing the results of the testing.
Potency of CoQ10 Products
Testing for potency means ensuring that the capsule contains the quantity of Coenzyme Q10 specified on the label.
Earlier this year, in May, 2020, the NOW nutritional supplements company headquartered in Illinois, revealed that its in-house laboratory had tested 10 CoQ10 products purchased on amazon.com.
Professor Urban Alehagen, the lead researcher on the KiSel-10 StudyThe KiSel-10 study was a four-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 443 Swedish citizens aged 70 to 88 who received either a combined daily supplementation of high-selenium yeast and Coenzyme Q10 or matching placebos. The elderly Swedish citizens who received the active treatment of selenium and Coenzyme Q10 had significantly reduced risk of death from heart disease, significantly better heart... Read more about this term, has emphasized the clinical significance of daily supplementation with both 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 and high-selenium yeast. Both supplements have a protective 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,... Read more about this term role in the prevention of heart disease.
In the previous article on this site, we discussed substances that can counteract or inhibit the bio-synthesis or absorption or efficacy of Coenzyme Q10. Today we want to look at substances that might actually boost the bio-synthesis or absorption or efficacy of Coenzyme Q10.
Among the substances we want to consider are the following nutritional supplements:
carnitine
NADH
PQQ
riboflavin
seleniumSelenium (symbol Se, atomic number 34) is a trace element that is an essential nutrient and an essential component of some of the most important antioxidants in the body, in particular the selenoproteins glutathione peroxidase, thioredoxin reductase, and selenoprotein P. Selenium is involved in the optimal functioning of the immune system. Professor Alehagen has pointed out that there exists a... Read more about this term
Dr. William Judy, founder and president of SIBR Research, advises against taking a vitamin C supplement within an hour of taking a CoQ10 capsule. In his book, Insider’s Guide to 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, Dr. Judy summarizes the CoQ10 clinical research results. The book is available from amazon.com.
Human adults’ bio-synthesis of the essential bio-nutrient Coenzyme Q10 declines with increasing age [Kalén]. That is unfortunate.
We humans need sufficient quantities of Coenzyme Q10 for various biological functions:
cellular production of ATPATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules are the high-energy molecules with easily broken phosphate bonds that release energy to the energy-requiring processes in the cells. Coenzyme Q10 is essential to the process of ATP production.... Read more about this term energy
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,... Read more about this term protection of the cells against oxidative damage
maintenance of endothelial function in blood vessels
Dr. William V. Judy, the founder and president of the SIBR Research Institute, was one of the first researchers to raise questions about misleading marketing claims for 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 products. Now he has written a book to share his knowledge of the relevant clinical research into the absorption, bio-availability, efficacy, and safety of CoQ10 supplements.
Coenzyme Q10 is, literally, the substance that powers life. It is an essential bio-nutrient required for the cellular process of ATPATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules are the high-energy molecules with easily broken phosphate bonds that release energy to the energy-requiring processes in the cells. Coenzyme Q10 is essential to the process of ATP production.... Read more about this term energy production. It is also an important fat-soluble 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,... Read more about this term. Oral CoQ10 supplementation is positively associated with the reduction of blood bio-markers for oxidative stress and inflammationInflammation is an immune system response to an injury to cells or tissues. It is the body’s attempt to defend against invaders such as bacteria andviruses and to mend the damage done by invaders. Typically, inflammation manifests itself in the form of fever and swelling, in the swarming of white blood cells and the release of cytokines to fight against... Read more about this term.
Now available from amazon.com is Dr. William Judy’s new book entitled Coenzyme Q10: An Insider’s Guide.
A simple search for the words Judy and Q10 will find the book on Amazon.
Professor Guillermo Lopez-Lluch and a research team tested seven different CoQ10 supplement formulations containing 100 mg of CoQ10 in 14 young, healthy individuals. The researchers measured CoQ10 bio-availability as area under the curve of plasma CoQ10 levels over 48 hours after the ingestion of a single dose. They repeated the measurements in the same group of 14 volunteers in a 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.... Read more about this term crossover design with a minimum of 4-week washout between intakes. The research results showed that there were statistically significantThe outcome of a clinical trial is thought to have statistical significance, or to be statistically significant, if the outcome is likely not caused by chance at a given statistical significance level, typically at the 0.05 level. Statistically significant outcomes may or may not be clinically significant.... Read more about this term variations in the bio-availability of the CoQ10 formulations. The best absorbed CoQ10 formulation was a formulation containing 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.... Read more about this term (oxidized CoQ10) dissolved in a soy oil matrix.
The first-ever head-to-head comparative bio-availability study has shown that a patented ubiquinone Coenzyme Q10 preparation gives a significantly better absorption and bio-availability than a patented ubiquinol product.
That is what happened in the double-blind, cross-over study conducted by researchers at the Pablo de Olavide University in Sevilla, Spain, in 2018 [Lopez-Lluch 2019].
This is important for several reasons:
Until this study in 2018, there had never been a head-to-head comparison studyof the bio-availability of a ubiquinone CoQ10 supplement and a ubiquinol supplement [Judy 2018].
Professor Guillermo López-Lluch listens to a comment from professor emeritus Gian Paolo Littarru at the 9th conference of the International 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 Association in New York, June 24, 2018.
Arguably, the most exciting Coenzyme Q10 research results of 2018 are the results of a comparative bio-availability study done at the Pablo de Olavide University in Sevilla, Spain. The researchers’ carefully designed study demonstrates that the uptake of Coenzyme Q10 from oral supplements depends primarily on two factors [López-Lluch 2018]:
***The composition and formulation of the supplement, especially the types of substances used to dissolve the Coenzyme Q10 raw material in the supplement capsules
The 9th Conference of the International 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 Association was held June 21 – 24 in the Faculty House at Columbia University in New York. Researchers from many different countries and continents attended.
What did the leading Coenzyme Q10 researchers have to say in New York?
Coenzyme Q10 has three primary fields of activity in the body: as a co-factor in the energy production process in the cells, as a fat-soluble 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,... Read more about this term protecting cells against oxidative damage, and as a regulator of endothelial function. In addition, Coenzyme Q10 has anti-inflammatory properties and plays a role in proper cell signaling activity.
The most recently published data from the KiSel-10 studyThe KiSel-10 study was a four-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 443 Swedish citizens aged 70 to 88 who received either a combined daily supplementation of high-selenium yeast and Coenzyme Q10 or matching placebos. The elderly Swedish citizens who received the active treatment of selenium and Coenzyme Q10 had significantly reduced risk of death from heart disease, significantly better heart... Read more about this term done in Sweden shows that the beneficial heart health effects of supplementation of elderly live-at-home individuals with a combination of Coenzyme Q10 and high-selenium yeast have persisted through year 12.
A bio-availability study done at a university in Spain shows that the formulation of the Coenzyme Q10 supplement is even more important than the form of the supplement. The absorption of 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.... Read more about this term Coenzyme Q10 supplement is better than the absorption of a ubiquinol supplement.
A sub-group analysis of the data from the Q-Symbio studyQ-Symbio is the abbreviated name for the two-year multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Coenzyme Q10 supplements as an adjunct treatment of chronic heart failure patients. The name reflects the focus of the study on the SYMptoms, BIomarker status (BNP), and long-term Outcomes (hospitalizations and mortality) of the supplementation. The data from the Q-Symbio study show that long-term supplementation with... Read more about this term of the effect of adjunctive Coenzyme Q10 treatment on European 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... Read more about this term patients shows even better results for Europeans than for all patients in the multi-center study.
Studies show that there may be interactions between Coenzyme Q10 and other nutritional supplements, meaning that we should be careful not to take these supplements at the same time we take our Coenzyme Q10.
The consensus at the conference was that the therapeutic level of Coenzyme Q10 in the plasma or serum is somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 micrograms per milliliter. Above 4.0 micrograms per milliliter, the beneficial effect of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation is thought to flatten out.
Statin medications only deprive the body of Coenzyme Q10 by inhibiting the bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 just as they inhibit the bio-synthesis of cholesterolCholesterol is one of the major fat-soluble compounds that is found in animal plasma membranes. It is necessary for life and is found throughout the body. It is carried from the liver to the tissues where it is needed by lipoproteins of which it is a component. Much of the cholesterol is transported in Low density lipoproteins (LDL). High levels... Read more about this term. Now there is evidence that long-term use of statinsStatins are a class of medications that effectively block the body’s synthesis of cholesterol. In so doing, statins also block the body’s synthesis of Coenzyme Q10.... Read more about this term has undesirable effects on cognitive function and on memory in particular. The statins easily cross the blood-brain barrier and adversely affect the protective myelin sheaths in which cholesterol is a key component.
More about these topics below.
The 9th conference of the International Coenzyme Q10 Conference at Columbia University in New York
Every three years, the International Coenzyme Q10 Association (ICQA) holds a conference at which researchers from around the world present their research findings related to Coenzyme Q10. This year, the conference was held at Columbia University in New York the 21st-24th of June. Many of the presentations and papers concerned the biochemistry of Coenzyme Q10’s effects.
In this article, I want to focus in on the presentations of results from human clinical studies. In the clinical area, the emphasis was demonstrating the importance of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation to heart health, healthy ageing, and better quality of life.
People deciding on a nutritional supplement need more than undocumented marketing claims. They need evidence from randomized controlled studies. They need evidence that shows whether the difference in the outcome, e.g. heart function, between the active 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 treatment study group and the placebo treatment study group is statistically significantThe outcome of a clinical trial is thought to have statistical significance, or to be statistically significant, if the outcome is likely not caused by chance at a given statistical significance level, typically at the 0.05 level. Statistically significant outcomes may or may not be clinically significant.... Read more about this term.
Sometimes we see people and companies making incorrect and misleading claims without proper documentation to support their claims. In the years since its introduction in 2007, there have been some questionable claims for the ubiquinol version of Coenzyme Q10 supplements. The ubiquinol version is not nearly as well tested and documented as the traditional 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.... Read more about this term Coenzyme Q10 version is.
In the articles on this web-site, we prefer to report the positive results from 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... Read more about this term involving the use of Coenzyme Q10 supplements. But, occasionally, we must react negatively to the misleading claims that we see in some of the advertisements for some of the Coenzyme Q10 products available for purchase in the US.
When the ubiquinol supplement enters the stomach and when the capsule opens, the ubiquinol begins to oxidize. In the small intestine, the ubiquinol is converted to almost all 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.... Read more about this term. In the absorption cells and in the abdominal lymph ducts, the 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 is initially almost all in the ubiquinone form. The Coenzyme Q10 enters the blood from the lymph. Thus, it appears that ubiquinol is absorbed as ubiquinone and not as ubiquinol. It is then converted back to ubiquinol before entering the blood. From: Dr. Judy’s presentation at the International Coenzyme Q10 Association symposium in Bologna, Italy, October, 2015.
Q. Good morning, Dr. Judy. Let’s talk about the Coenzyme Q10 research you have done in your career. But, first, do you remember when you first met Dr. Karl Folkers, the grand old man of Coenzyme Q10 research?
A. Good morning. Yes, I met Dr. Folkers in 1968. He had just started the Institute for Bio-Medical Research at UT in Austin. He came to talk to Dr. Les Geddes and Dr. Lee Baker in the Physiology and Biophysics Department at Baylor University Medical School in Houston, Texas. He talked to them about the bio-electrical impedance method for non-invasively measuring cardiac function in 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... Read more about this term patients.
Long-time Coenzyme Q10 researchers and colleagues of Dr. Judy: Dr. Karl Folkers (left) and Dr. Svend Aage Mortensen, the lead researcher on the Q-Symbio study.
Q. Good morning, Dr. Judy. Thank you for taking some time for q10facts.com. Last time we talked about the safety of 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. What about the absorption and bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10? That has been a special area of research for you at the SIBR Research Institute, I think.
A. Good morning. Yes, you are correct. I have been involved in several clinical studies of the efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation, but my big interest for the past 20 years has been in testing the absorption and bioavailability of the various Coenzyme Q10 supplements. Maybe I should start by distinguishing between absorption studies and bioavailability studies.
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