CoQ10 vs Ubiquinol: What You Need to Know

Both Coenzyme Q10 and Ubiquinol are good for you, but which is best, and why? We look at the benefits of each and why they should be part of your daily health plan:

What is Coenzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10) is an antioxidant which is used to produce energy within every cell of your body. It helps to product against free radicals, and supports your body as it ages, as we produce less CoQ10 itself as we get older. It also helps to support the immune system, keeping your body strong and healthy, and increase its ability to fight illness.

You can absorb CoQ10 through a diet of foods including meat such as heart, liver and kidney, beef, fish, such as sardines, mackerel, peanuts and vegetables, including  spinach, broccoli and cauliflower.

While CoQ10 is recommended to help fight signs of ageing, and for the production of your energy, its main benefit is to the heart.

What is Ubiquinol?

Ubiquinol is CoQ10 with an X-factor. An active form of the naturally-occurring antioxidant CoQ10, Ubiquinol is more easily absorbed in the body than CoQ10 and has been shown to help maintain a healthy heart and LDL cholesterol levels.

If you’re over the age of 25, you should consider including a Ubiquinol supplement into your daily health regime, as your body doesn’t convert CoQ10 into Ubiquinol as easily as you age.

You can absorb Ubiquinol through your diet, although as the recommended daily amount is 100 milligrams, you’ll need to eat large portions of cabbage, broccoli, oranges, oysters, and avocado to match the levels you’ll gain from a daily supplement.

If your cholesterol levels are high, your GP may have prescribed you a statin medication. Around 2.2 million Australians take statins to control cholesterol levels.[i] If you take a statin and experience muscle pain as a side effect, you might consider daily supplementation with Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol has been shown to counteract mild to moderate muscle pain that can occur as a side effect of taking statins.[ii]

Talk to your GP or local pharmacist for some advice on taking Ubiquinol, particularly if you also take statin medication.

[i]https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news/conclusive-statins-study-ends-fear-mongering

[ii] Marcoff L, Thompson PD: The role of coenzyme Q10 in statin-associated myopathy: a systematic review. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2007; 49: 2231–37