Coenzyme Q10 Explained.
Coenzyme Q10, or “CoQ10” for short, is an important fat-soluble antioxidant that’s found in nearly every cell of your body. Your body makes its own CoQ10 and mainly uses it for energy production and to defend cells from damage like UV, inflammation, toxins, and oxidation [1, 2].
Because of its protective properties, CoQ10 is often used to help prevent cancer, balance blood sugar, reduce skin wrinkles, increases fertility, and promote good heart health [3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Thing is, CoQ10 isn’t like most nutrients. In order to attain (and keep) these awesome benefits, you’ll need a constant supply of the stuff. This is primarily because your body doesn’t store it. If you don’t get enough one way or the other, bodily issues can and will inevitably arise in time [8].
Think of CoQ10 as the oil in a car (your body). If you don’t manage it, your engine can suffer.
So, what’s the best way to get more?
Short answer: Diet. When that’s not enough, supplement. It’s imperative to always keep a good supply of CoQ10 in your body at all times in order to help maintain optimal overall health. While your body does make CoQ10 on its own, this production slows down considerably with age.
Luckily, CoQ10 is naturally abundant in a variety of whole fatty foods. Some good sources are organ meats (especially liver), nuts/seeds, fatty cold-water fish, fruit, and vegetables [9].
But, if that’s not an option (and for most of us it isn’t), we recommend taking a Coenzyme Q10 supplement. They’re just as easily absorbed, don’t need to be cooked, and are more cost-effective. The best time to take a CoQ10 supplement is during a meal to improve digestion.
What to look for in a CoQ10 Supplement.
There are a few things to look out for when choosing the right CoQ10 Supplement. Factors like its dosage ratio, form, price, and serving-size are just a few important features to be aware of.
Interestingly, unlike most supplements, CoQ10’s ingredient form isn’t a deciding factor. That’s because both forms are easily converted into the other just with the donation of an electron.
Basically, the consumed form can be turned into the other based on your needs and vice versa.
There are two different forms of CoQ10: (reduced) Ubiquinone and (oxidized) Ubiquinol. The only difference is that ubiquinol has an extra donatable electron while ubiquinone doesn’t.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the ranking!
The Best 5 Coenzyme Q10 Supplements
5. Vitafusion CoQ10 Gummies – Best for Kids
From our experience, kids loathe swallowing pills or capsules. So, finding a healthy alternative can be understandably challenging. The best solution is probably chewier than you thought…Meet Vitafusion, the formulator of our current favorite CoQ10 chewable. Yes, we really tried them. They tasted like soft, delectable peach squares for those of you who are wondering.
Great taste aside, you won’t get the same price-value as you would with a liquid or softgel. This is mainly because of the extra processing needed to convert CoQ10 into bite-size chewables. Although, each option is still inexpensive. This 30 serving bottle can be had for $12 on Amazon.
Moreover, Vitafusion’s chewable CoQ10 also has an award-winning flavor profile that’s free of gluten, dairy, and other questionable artificial sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup.
Vitafusion CoQ10 Gummy Overview:
- Supplies 60 total gummies (30 servings)
- Each gummy contains 100 mg of CoQ10
- Free of gluten, high-fructose corn syrup
- Chef award-winning quality standards
- No artificial sweeteners, dyes, or dairy
- Wallet-friendly ($12), overall very nice
4. Purely Holistic High Potency CoQ10 – Best for Long Term
Developed by Pure Holistic, this high-strength CoQ10 supplement is likely the one designed to last the longest at 240 days. This translates to about 8 straight months of daily unabridged use. See, each bottle can last that long because it has 240 servings of individual softgels at 100 mg of CoQ10 per. Because of its dosage and total size, there’s a lot of headroom for versatility.
In addition to its almost unbelievable near full-year supply, Purely Holistic’s CoQ10 is 100% label transparent and contains no other ingredients. Besides the few ingredients necessary to form the softgel that encapsulates the CoQ10, you won’t find any artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes. We also found it’s free of most major potential allergens and questionable ingredients.
With that being said, Purely Holistic’s CoQ10 is without a doubt best for those looking for a ‘one and done’ purchase. For $27 on Amazon, it’s tough to beat a nearly full year supply of CoQ10.
Purely Holistic CoQ10 Overview:
- 240 softgel servings a bottle
- 100 mg of CoQ10 per softgel
- No artificial flavors and dyes
- Free of most major allergens
- 100% formula transparency
- Excellent value (8 month supply!)
3. Qunol Liquid CoQ10 – Best for Fast Absorption
Qunol’s Liquid CoQ10 is unlike any other supplement on this ranking (in an awesome way). For starters, Qunol provides 60 true, sublingual servings at 100 mg per (2 tablespoons). What impresses us most is its patented form that increases both its solubility and absorption.
Similar to how BioPerine works, this is helpful for a number of reasons because it increases the total value of the product. Furthermore, it also breaks down and enters the bloodstream faster due to a lack of protective layers that generally have to be digested, like capsules and softgels.
That being said, this supplement is quite unique as far as liquid CoQ10’s go. We’d recommend this over capsules and softgels if you’re looking for immediate assimilation. Beyond that, it tastes great and isn’t overly priced considering its overall value and effectivity, which is great.
Qunol Liquid CoQ10 Overview:
- 60 full liquid servings per container
- Pharmaceutical grade high potency
- Patented form for better absorption
- 100% water-soluble and fat-soluble
- Tastes pretty good (Pineapple orange)
- No Gluten, GMOs, or other allergens
2. aSquared Nutrition CoQ10 – Best for High Dosages
Coming in at #2 is aSquared Nutrition’s CoQ10 pill. This powerhouse of a supplement packs a full, double-strength dose of healthy CoQ10 at 400 mg per capsule, of which there are 200. Because it’s double-strength, aSquared’s CoQ10 is likely best for those who need more than most. This can be because of a variety of reasons, but namely taking statin (heart) meds.
Moreover, each max strength serving is free of artificial ingredients, fillers, and binders. It’s also made in a USA, FDA registered cGMP facility to ensure proper ingredient quality and safety.
That said, we believe this supplement is best for those that plan on taking it once daily for a long time (6.5 months at least). For $40, really nothing beats this supplement’s long-term value. While it’s much more costly at first compared to its competition, we haven’t found any that, when truly compared, even get close to what aSquared’s CoQ10 supplement offers long-term.
aSquared Nutrition CoQ10 Overview:
- 200-day supply, or 200 potent servings
- Contains 400 mg of CoQ10 per capsule
- Max strength highly effective dosages
- Free of extraneous fillers and binders
- No artificial ingredients for optimal purity
- Made in an FDA registered cGMP facility
1. Viva Naturals CoQ10 – Best for Overall Value
If you’re like us and want the best and most from your nutrition, then you’ll like Viva Naturals. Made with effectivity in mind, this CoQ10 supplement provides exactly what you need and nothing you don’t. Each bottle is designed to last 5 months taken each day (150 servings).
What’s more, we found that each softgel is made up of 100 mg of CoQ10 with an added 5 mg of premium BioPerine to enhance absorption. If you don’t know, BioPerine is a patented extract of the Black Pepper Fruit that works to enhance the body’s ability to digest (and retain) nutrients.
Basically, this means you get to keep and utilize more CoQ10 than you normally would relative to supplements without digestion enhancers. This is great news for both your body and wallet.
In addition to its 100% transparent formula, Viva Naturals continues to impress us with its lack of questionable ‘other’ ingredients. You won’t find any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, but you will find pharma grade (99% + purity), naturally fermented CoQ10- all for less than $15.
Viva Naturals CoQ10 Overview:
- Provides 150 softgels, or a 5-month supply
- 5 mg of BioPerine for improved absorption
- Contains 100 mg of CoQ10 in each serving
- Safety, value, and effectivity are highly valued
- Pharmaceutical grade, naturally fermented CoQ10
- Free of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors
Bottom Line on CoQ10 Supplements
In the end, it’s pretty hard to go wrong in terms of which supplement you pick. Each CoQ10 supplement on this ranking will accomplish the same purpose, albeit just by varying methods.
We’ve outlined the differences between each one and displayed the best in its category. Basically, there isn’t a supplement up there that isn’t right for your unique personal preferences.
If you’re looking for high-quality CoQ10 from safe, reputable sources, they all work. Regardless, each supplement is optimal for someone. If you’d like help deciding, leave us a comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like nutrient found in almost every cell of the body. It functions to help produce mitochondrial (cell) energy and to protect the body from damage.
It’s a very important contributor to proper health and is often used to promote a wide range of desirable health benefits while actively preventing a myriad bodily disorder at the same time.
How much CoQ10 should I take?
Based on the overwhelming majority of studies, research, and supplements, dosages between 150 – 400 mg appear to be optimal [10]. It should also be noted that CoQ10 has a very high toxic range, meaning it’s fairly difficult to ‘overdose’ or feel any sort of negative side effect.
Basically, it’s a very safe nutrient that every human naturally has. Like always, if you have any supplement specific questions, we suggest contacting the manufacturer or asking your doctor.
Which type of CoQ10 is the best?
Short answer: Both– they’re equally just as effective. Your body converts the consumed form to the other form as necessary. For example, if you take Ubiquinol CoQ10, your body can either keep it or convert it into Ubiquinone CoQ10 and vice versa. It’s just a simple electron donation.
Ensuring this balanced state of donating and accepting is how cells profit energy from CoQ10.
Can statin drugs harm CoQ10 production?
Absolutely [11]. It’s not unusual for a patient who’s prescribed statin medication by a physician to also be told to simultaneously supplement with CoQ10. This is because statins often reduce natural bodily production of the stuff, sometimes all way up to 40% according to research [12].
What color is CoQ10?
CoQ10 liquid naturally looks orange like the pills in the picture at the top of the page. However, if a supplement has any sort of added colors or another ingredient, its color may be different.
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