Now that you’ve had a look at our reviews, it’s time to learn a bit more about these supplements, and how to buy the right product for your needs.
About CoQ10, Ubiquinol, and Ubiquinone
Before we start, you should know that CoQ10 (ubiquinone) and ubiquinol supplements are practically the same in a way. Essentially, when you take CoQ10, both your ubiquinone and ubiquinol levels increase at some point. Because ubiquinone was stabilized first, most health experts will recommend it, simply due to the fact that it’s better researched.
On the other hand, taking a reliable ubiquinol supplement might be a superior way to go about things for many reasons. First, it’s the more absorbable form, and it has better overall bioavailability, enabling you to take smaller doses but reap the same benefits (this especially goes for seniors).
All this stems from the fact that CoQ10’s natural form is crystalline, which is by no means water-soluble. These crystalline compounds generally have difficulty absorbing in water. This is why ubiquinol and ubiquinone are typically modified for water-rich environments.
In some cases, this might be problematic for users, as they can’t be entirely sure if the coenzyme Q10 ubiquinol or ubiquinone product they bought is actually a properly formulated supplement. When it comes to formulation, there are several different versions of CoQ10 supplements, and most of them are marketed with “superior absorption” as their main selling point.
These can be:
- Nano-technology: Small particles are used to boost absorption. So far, there are professional sources that are still suspicious about the actual effectiveness of these methods because reports on the subject are rather inconsistent.
- Crystal-free: Any formulation aside from the original crystalline.
- Liquid CoQ10: The crystals are combined with oil to promote absorption.
- Water-soluble CoQ10: These products increase the surface area of powders and dissolve them in water.
Because there are tons of different options, expert advice on what to use will also vary. Some high-profile CoQ10 reviews encourage buyers to use the Kaneka-formulated products. As this Japanese company was the first to stabilize ubiquinol, some professionals will recommend mostly buying products from companies that have Kaneka as their raw material supplier. Apart from stabilizing the compound, Kaneka also studied ubiquinol quite rigorously and has the data pool to back their claims up.
Why Should I Take CoQ10?
When assessing the potential CoQ10 benefits for men and women, we should start with the fact that most healthy adults have adequate levels of the compound occurring in their bodies naturally, but with age, those levels tend to drop.
CoQ10 studies show that it may help improve blood pressure, ease heart conditions, and lessen the possibility of cardiac problems in the future. Likewise, there’s some evidence that the compound may help with muscle pains. Finally, preliminary studies also seem to show that CoQ10 may slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, but there’s still much research to do in this field to come to a conclusive answer.
Higher coenzyme Q10 doses have also been used to effectively treat migraine headaches, though the treatment itself can take months to show effects. Lastly, studies also looked at whether the compound can be beneficial against diseases and conditions such as HIV, cancer, gum disease, muscular dystrophy, and several other conditions but with no conclusive answers so far.
CoQ10 and Fertility in Female and Male Adults
Female fertility usually starts to drop after 35, mostly because the egg quality in the reproductive organs tends to naturally decrease with age. At the same time, CoQ10 levels also tend to decline throughout the female body, which is why some experts prescribe CoQ10 supplementation for women older than 35 to replenish the decreased levels.
So far, the studies that have been assessing the links between CoQ10, fertility, and egg quality show that supplementation may lead to improvements in embryo and egg quality, along with better pregnancy outcomes.
In the case of male fertility, regular CoQ10 supplementation (just like high-quality ashwagandha products) may also improve overall fertility chances, mostly by increasing sperm motility. Being a powerful antioxidant, a potent CoQ10 for fertility may also act as an ally that can protect sperm from oxidative stress. According to a scientific review from 2018, the compound improved sperm motility, count, and concentration.
Dietary CoQ10 Sources
Most experts will agree that for healthy people, going straight to supplements shouldn’t be the first choice. Instead, they can always try focusing on nutrient-rich foods. However, in the case of this particular compound, top-quality CoQ10 supplements could actually be a good starting point, because CoQ10 is found in foods in only low amounts.
The highest concentrations are found in organ meats from chicken, pigs, and cows. It’s less concentrated in actual animal flesh. The amount you get from chicken thighs is almost the same as you would get from nuts and vegetables. For vegans, soybean, olive, and grapeseed oil would be the best sources, as they are also rather rich in the compound.
The problem is, to get around 100mg of CoQ10, you would need to consume half a pound of beef heart. So, food might not be the optimal form of CoQ10 intake to meet your needs.
CoQ10 Products – The Basics
Here are some of the most obvious steps you should take before opting for a product.
- Checking the source: What we mean by this is always look for lab-tested products from brands with a trackable record. As these supplements aren’t FDA-regulated, be a bit more cautious and make sure that you are buying from reputable brands with solid reviews from experts and consumers alike. Always check the company, the ingredient list (even in the case of the highest-quality CoQ10 supplements), and make sure to consult your doctor before you start supplementing.
- Checking the dosages: This can be especially handy when you’re comparing prices as there can be more obvious differences between supplements with higher versus those with lower dosages. However, with higher dosages, you might also notice more side effects, so make sure to keep your health in mind when looking for the best product. As such, if you have no underlying medical conditions, your optimal daily doses might be within the typical 100mg–200mg range.
- Absorption rate: You should always take a thorough look at the ingredients to see whether the supplement contains additions like black pepper or shilajit, which are believed to improve absorption rates.
- Study other ingredients as well: While this mostly depends on personal preference, you can always look into the ingredient list to see whether you can enjoy other benefits apart from the expected positive effects of your preferred premium CoQ10 supplement. For instance, supplements with added vitamin E might help you improve blood, brain, and skin health even further. Of course, you can always simply take high-quality multivitamin products independently of CoQ10.
CoQ10 and Dietary Restrictions
In most cases, you should have no issues with taking CoQ10 supplements unless your doctor advises you otherwise. However, you should know that the active ingredients in ubiquinol supplements are usually cultivated from yeast. Of course, you should always check whether the product you’re aiming to buy contains GMO, animal products, gluten, nut allergens, and soy.
Also, you need to know that ubiquinol has to be combined with inactive ingredients to be formed into supplemental products and that you will probably come across different brands that may use beeswax or gelatin, which might be a problem for those who follow vegan or kosher diets.
Downsides and Potential Side Effects
Even a first-rate brand of CoQ10 supplements might cause some side effects, the most common ones being heartburn, appetite loss, diarrhea, and nausea. However, these happen rarely, in around 1% of cases. Interactions with medications and other prescription drugs haven’t been looked at that thoroughly yet, with the exception of a handful of scientific studies mostly focusing on the interactions with warfarin. The indications are that CoQ10 might make this blood-thinning drug less effective.
