Many coenzyme Q10 supplements are available, but some are better than others. To help you select the best form of coenzyme Q10 supplement for you, I’ve reviewed the difference between ubiquinone, ubiquinol and mitoquinone below, and explain why coenzyme Q10 is one of the supplements I take every day. Coenzyme Q10 becomes increasingly important over the age of around 40, and if you are taking a statin drug to lower your cholesterol levels.
Quick links: These are the coenzyme Q10 supplements I recommend from Healthspan, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
What is coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 (often abbreviated to CoQ10) is a powerful antioxidant that is vital for energy production in cells. The amount of coenzyme Q10 you make declines with age and depleted amounts is associated with premature cell ageing and fatigue. Known as nature’s spark plug, you may benefit from taking a coenzyme Q10 supplement if you have high blood pressure, feel lacking in energy, or are taking a statin drug to lower a raised cholesterol or lower your future risk of heart disease.
Statin drugs work by switching off cholesterol production in the liver. This action also switches off coenzyme Q10 production, and can halve circulating levels of this important cell energy-producing substance within 2 to 4 weeks. This may contribute to the muscle-related side effects associated with statin medication.
Vitamin D is also produced from a cholesterol-derived building-block, and a low-level of vitamin D may be involved in statin side effects, too.
Which is the best dose of coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 supplements come in three main forms:
- Ubiquinone must be converted into another form, ubiquinol, in the body before it is used. This form is widely available and offers best value for money for younger people.
- Ubiquinol is the reduced ‘body-ready’ form, also known as Co-enzyme QH. This form is the most effective for older people, and those taking a statin drug.
- Mitoquinol is a positively-charged form which easily penetrates into the cells’ power houses (mitochondria) so that a lower dose is needed. This new version is more expensive but may suit you if you have not achieved optimal results with other versions, or if you have mitochondrial dysfunction which is associated with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
The optimum dose of coenzyme Q10, and the best form, depends on your age and why you wish to take it. The ubiquinone form is cheapest, but must first be converted into ubiquinol by cells before it is used. This conversion may be less efficient as you get older. Ubiquinol is therefore the ‘body ready’ form but is more expensive as it has to be manufactured in strict oxygen-free conditions.
A dose of 100mg ubiquinol is equivalent to around 280mg ubiquinone.
If you are in good general health, my suggested doses for coenzyme Q10 are:
- If you are under 30 years of age and in good health – 30 mg ubiquinone coenzyme Q10
- If you are aged 30 to 40 years and in good health – 60mg ubiquinone coenzyme Q10
- If you are aged 40 and over and are in good health – 100mg ubiquinone coenzyme Q10
- If you have high blood pressure, are taking a statin drug, or have reduced fertility or heart problems – 100mg ubiquinol (or 200mg ubiquinone form).
Higher doses of ubiquinone and ubiquinol can be taken, but these are best used under the advice of a medical nutritionist to supervise any underlying health problems such as high blood pressure.
Mitoquinol is taken at a typical dose of two 5mg capsules each morning. It may be suitable for people with mitochondrial dysfunction who feel they have not achieved optimum benefit from taking ubiquinone or ubiquinol alone. It is expensive for general use.
Which coenzyme Q10 supplements are best?
My advice is to select a product made to a pharmaceutical standard known as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). This quality control ensures that each capsule supplies what it says on the label. As coenzyme Q10 is fat soluble, capsules supplying ubiquinone or ubiquinol in an oil-base will aid maximum absorption. Some supplements also include black pepper extract (piperine) which also increases absorption.
A wide range of coenzyme Q10 supplements are available in both the ubiquinone and ubiquinol forms on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
Have you taken co-enzyme Q10 supplements? If so, what for? Did you find them helpful?
Image credit: funnyangel/shutterstock
46 thoughts on “The Best Co-Enzyme Q10 Supplements”
Hi Sarah,
I searched a lot for 500mg Ubiquinol.
Found them on Amazon from Vedhealthcare (says the ticket)
When they arrived I was very surprised to find white hard pills and very tiny for 500mg.
Does Q10 or Ubiquinol exist in other forms then softgels ?
I bought before 200mg Q10 and they where already large softgels, is the Ubiquinol then a much smaller form then Q10
looking forward to your advice.
thanks
Hi Wim, I’m wondering why you need such a high dose? There are two forms of coenzyme Q10 – the oxidised form of ubiquinone, is taken in doses of 30mg to 200mg (higher for medical reasons) but the reduced form of ubiquinol, which is ‘body ready’ is taken in a lower dose of 100mg (sometimes 200mg) as each 100mg of ubiquinol is equivalent to around 280mg ubiquinone. As these supplements are fat soluble, they are usually (and ideally) provided as oil filled capsules for optimal absorption. Hope that helps, Sarah B
Hi Sarah thank you so much for your help and advice my dr just dismisses any supplements bar folic acid when I mention them! My pre natal vit has a lot of the other supplements you recommend which is great I will start Angus cactus also and get my husband on your recommendations also although he is only 36. We lost Isabella our T18 baby at 39 weeks just 7 weeks ago but I’ve been trying to exercise no alcohol etc as at 44 I do not have the luxury of time. Anyway thank you for your advice I have also read your post on Ubiquinol for fertility which is great.
Hi Joanna, Do give yourself time to recover and grieve, as you have been through a lot, physically and emotionally. You would really benefit from expert advice from an experienced nutritionist who specialises in fertility. In the UK, for example, there is midwife Zita West‘s fertility clinic. Best wishes, Sarah B
Hi Sarah I really want to improve my egg quality as I have had 2 miscarriages and then a T18 pregnancy. I’m currently taking 600 mg of Ubiquinol is this enough?(I’m 44) I’m also taking pre natal vit 800mg of folate l-arginine 500g can you advise anything else. I did read about DHEA what’s your opinion on this. Thank you
Hi Joanna, Sorry to hear about your experiences. In case you haven’t seen my post on my other site, here’s a link to co-enzyme Q10 boosts fertility. 600mg ubiquinol is more than enough – I usually suggest starting with 100mg. Magnesium is also worthwhile if it’s not included in your pre-natal vitamin (are you just taking folate or does it contain other vits and mins too?). Herbalists may recommend Agnus castus to improve conception rates where this is linked with PCOS but it’s important to stop this supplement as soon as pregnancy occurs. Omega-3 is important for a baby’s development, but select one that is DHA enriched and especially designed for pregnancy. It’s also worth your partner taking steps to improve fertility It’s a good idea for you both to avoid alcohol, and for him to take supplements that are important for sperm health include folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, magnesium and zinc. Ubiquinol coenzyme Q10 is also important for sperm motility, and I’ve recently written a post about Maca and its beneficial effects on sperm health. Another often overlooked factor is that modern ‘tight’ underpants – especially those made from manmade fibres – increase the temperature of sperm cells which can affect fertility and can damage sperm due to the electrostatic field generated. Even taking a hot bath (43°C to 45°C) for only half an hour a day can lower male fertility. So it’s worth your partner wearing cotton boxers to maximise chances of success. I wish you the best of luck. I am not familiar with the use of DHEA for fertility support as it is not available in the UK. Best wishes, Sarah B
Thank you. I’m not drinking at all and my partner has agreed to a 7 drink limit a week, we’re both taking preconception vitamins plus ubiquinol and are pretty fit and healthy so I guess we just have to persevere and hope for the best. Thanks for the advice. Clare
Hi Sarah, since I last commented, I’ve been on 200mg of Ubiquinol and my partner on 100mg in a bid to get pregnant. After a T21 pregnancy last year, am now having an anembryonic pregnancy and I was about to order more ubiquinol and preconception vitamins but read on a label not to take it during pregnancy – is this correct? We are both having fertility checks but so far the only answer we can get is that it’s bad luck again, is there anything else in your opinion we can do that might help? Thanks, Clare
Hi Clare, I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Ubiquinol is often used during pregnancy, but do get your doctor’s agreement first. There is more information on my Nutritional Medicine site, if you haven’t seen it, in a post on coenzyme Q10 boosts fertility. I know it doesn’t seem like it when you have experienced a loss, but the fact that you have had 2 pregnancies is reassuring. With time there is a high chance of success. It’s a good idea to both stop having any alcohol. Supplements that support sperm health include folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, magnesium and zinc among others, so a multivitamin and mineral designed for male preconception may help, too. Modern ‘tight’ underpants – especially when made from manmade fibres – increase the temperature of the scrotum and can cause sperm counts too fall, so loose boxers are best for men when trying to conceive. Even taking a hot bath (43°C to 45°C) for only half an hour a day can also lower male sperm counts. I hope that helps and wish you all the best for success. Sarah B
Thank you for this info Dr Brewer. The Quinomit link was a bit confusing. It says package content 300ml but on the photo of the box it says 30ml. There is also only 6.5 mg of ubiquinol per stroke. 275 strokes at £60 a bottle this makes this product very expensive(unless I’ve made a mistake in my calculations!). Would it be possible to split open a standard 100mg soft gel and swallow the contents directly? I did look at the Healthspan option but I think my wife would not like swallowing those either. We both use the Thorne Vit D3/ K2 combo drops. It’s a pity this doesn’t exist with ubiquinol at a similar price.
Hi David, it does look as if there is a typo in the description. The packaging is definitely 30ml. The only problem with splitting a capsule containing ubiquinol is that oxygen will convert the ubiquinol to ubiquinone (it is encapsulated in a special atmosphere to exclude oxygen). However, ubiquinone itself is beneficial. In general, 280 mg ubiquinone is equivalent to 100mg uniquinol. I have just discovered a ubiquinol spray which may be another option, although some of the write-ups suggest it is for use with pets (although that appears to be the orange spray rather than the blue one). I have no experience of the spray, but you may wish to investigate. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Best wishes, Sarah B
Have you reviewed the Ubiquinol drops? Are they worth it? The reason I’m considering them is because my wife feels she will choke on the large soft gels. Instead she chews them first. I believe bioavailability is reduced this way.
Hi David, coenzyme q10 drops (eg Quinomit ubiquinol in the UK, LiQsorb ubiquinone in the US) are useful ways to obtain coenzyme Q10 if you are unable to swallow capsules or soft gels. I also like Healthspan Ubiquinol Max which provide additional fish oil, magnesium and vitamins – these are small capsules and the dose of 2 per day provides 100mg ubiquinol (disclosure, I work as a consultant to Healthspan). If your wife can swallow small soft gels, these are another option. Best wishes, Sarah B
What I cannot locate on this post is the trusted brands. Not sure why…. I’ve searched this post on my cell 7-8 times. I feel silly and confused!! Could you send me a link to them? I don’t want to purchase an inferior brand. Thank you!
It’s my fault – I replaced the original table with a horizontal format that did not include my commentary. I’ve now reinstated this. Apologies 🙁 Let me know if you need any further info. Best wishes, Sarah B
I cannot find where you have reviewed various brands of Ubiquinol. Please help! There are too many to choose from.
Hi Ann, Any brand that sells the Ubiquinol (coenzyme QH) reduced form of coenzyme q10 will contain the patented version sourced from Kaneka, and will be good quality so you can select based on cost. I’ve selected trusted brands to feature in my tables on this post. Best wishes, Sarah B
Thank you Dr. Brewer, and one more question: I have headaches and I’m sleepy these days, if it’s Coq10 induced, should I stop taking the supplement? By the way, I have 12 years old twins myself, and this time one healthy baby will do. 😉
Hi Snezhana, CoQ10 doesn’t usually causeside effects. Only occasional and transient, mild nausea have been reported even at high doses. If you think it is affecting you, then obviously stop. It’s a good idea to be checked for other possible causes such as iron deficiency anaemia, low thyroid function, diabetes – or could you be pregnant already? Best wishes, Sarah B
Dear Dr. Brewer,
I am 42 years old and I want to do everything I can to increase the egg quality, because my spouse and I want to have another child. I started taking 30mg/day CoQ10 a week ago and for last two days I’ve been on 100mg/day. I wanted to switch to ubiquinol, but I’ve read some warnings that people with low blood pressure should not take co-enzyme Q10 supplements, which was very disappointing for me, since my blood pressure is often low, 110/70, sometimes lower.
I’m not sure how to proceed, so I need your opinion and advice.
Thank you in advance,
Snezhana
Hi Snezhana, CoQ10 can definitely improve egg (and sperm) quality as I’ve written about in my post on CoQ10 here. Doses of CoQ10 used to lower blood pressure are generally high – around 400mg to 600mg and you are unlikely to run into problems from taking the ubiquinol form at a dose of around 100mg, but if you develop symptoms of hypotension such as feeling dizzy then do stop and seek advice from your doctor. Fingers crossed for you – I had twins at the age of 42 and firmly believe that coQ10 and pregnancy multivitamins played a role. Best wishes, Sarah B
Thanks Sarah, I hadn’t seen your other piece about it’s links to fertility. There are twins in both our families so heres hoping. I am taking a preconception vitamin also so will purchase some ubiquinol and keep our fingers crossed. Thanks again..Clare
I wish you good fortune!
Hi Sarah, I’m 38 and looking to take Co Q10 to help with fertility, I’ve read that it can improve the quality of your eggs? I just lost a baby to T21 and my partner would like to do what we can to aid the process going forward. How much and which form would you recommend taking in my situation. My partner is the same age, works out every day and is often very tired so I think could benefit from it too? Thank you for your time, Kind Regards, Clare
Hi Clare, Sorry to hear about your experience. Yes, CoQ10 can help boost both male and female fertility, as I’ve written about on my Nutritional Medicine blog here. The best form is ubiquinol, and the usual dose is 100mg to 300mg per day. It’s also a good idea to take a multivitamin and mienral supplement designed for pregnancy, as nutrients such as folate, B vitamins and zinc also play a role. Best wishes, Sarah B
Which CoQ10 do you take, seems that one might as well just take MitoQ, and forget the rest, as it appears superior/next generation? Have you looked at John O’Neills CoQ10 https://advancedq10.com/ It is a powdered version – he makes some interesting comments about oil based soft gel CoQ10 – although not sure how qualified they are – while they do exhibit increased blood plasma levels of CoQ10, they also showed high urine excretion rates of CoQ10. He also suggests that adding oil oxidises Q10 so it’s missing the massive molecular structure of active hydrogen that’s found in a quality coenzme q10. I am new to coQ10, so would be great to hear your thoughts on which is best, regardless of expense. Thanks for a great article.
Hi Jonny, I take 100mg ubiquinol in an oil base. Adding oil does not oxidise ubiquinol as it is produced in an oxygen-free environment – a process for which Kaneka has the patent. All the evidence I have seen suggests this is the best form for over-50s. Under this age you could go for the ubiquinone form which tends to be cheaper. Best wishes, Sarah B
Well I have to admit that I stumbled on this page, I am certainly glad I did.
I’m constantly amazed by the vast market in health supplements. I had never heard of CoQ10 before. I am often rather sceptical about most of the advertised claims of these products. How ever when I see something being endorsed by such a qualified person as yourself Dr Sarah, then I do sit up and take notice.
I am a slightly flagging sixty year old, so I will definitely try them and follow your advice.
Thanks for giving it.
Dear Dr Brewer,
I’m a 56 yr old woman on 75mcg Levothyroxine daily. I wish to improve my energy levels and general all round health. Can I take Co-Enzyme 10 supplements together with Thyroxine?
Thanks,
Monica.
Hi Monica, CoQ10 is often low in people with thyroid conditions and you may find it helps to improve thyroid function, although this is not guaranteed.The medications that can interact with coQ10 (usually resulting in lower CoQ10 levels) are listed here and do not include levothyroxine. Do read the information on the patient informatin leaflet that comes with your medicine, and cehck with your doctor or pharmacist, too. Best wishes, Sarah B
Hi Monica, CoQ10 is often low in people with thyroid conditions and you may find it helps to improve thyroid function, although this is not guaranteed.The medications that can interact with coQ10 (usually resulting in lower CoQ10 levels) are listed here and do not include levothyroxine. Do read the information on the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine, and cehck with your doctor or pharmacist, too. Best wishes, Sarah B
Dr. Brewer,
Very helpful information. Ive been using a Qunol Ultra Natural COQ10 supplement though I dont know whether its a Ubiquinone or Ubiquinol I hadnt known there were multiple forms of the supplement.
Ive taking the supplement for a few years as I had been told it was a good antioxidant. Although, I have noticed that when I don’t take the CoQ10 supplement for a while, I do start feeling a lack of energy.
I notice the same if I stop taking it. You look young in your Gravitar so you probably don’t need Ubiquinol yet but if you notice your energy levels dipping, trying switching to ubiquinol – the ones you are taking are ubiquinone although in an oil base for optimal absorption.
Thanks doctor for providing the list of best capsules supplying ubiquinone or ubiquinol. Actually I was thinking of taking CoQ10 a year back as I used to feel lack of energy on me, may be due to heavy work load and lack of sleep. But I was not not sure about the best supplement available in market. neither I went to any doctor because of work pressure again.
But now, the best supplements list is here and I can get one for me.
Glad it was helpful. You should notice an improvement in energy levels within a couple of weeks. ONe of my favourite supplements!
Hi doc, I read Sangeeta’s post. I am taking Doctor’s Best CoQ10 … is the quality of this brand good as my friend at work said the best is Usana .. but Usana is so pricy. Hope to hear from you that Doctor’s Best brand is good. Thanks. Nalini (Singapore)
Hi Nalina, Yes Doctor’s Best is a quality brand. Best wishes, Sarah B
Hi doctor,
I first heard about coq10 2 years ago from the book called the cholesterol myth and how it is vital to our health. Its strange that other doctors still prescribe statin when it has side effects.
Reading your article has given your readers an in depth information about the coq10. I never knew about ubiquinol or mitoquinol and the other one. I usually just buy the dr. Best coq10 and take it
I dont have high cholesterol but I am always finding ways to be healthy and if ever i need to take coq10 again. I will get the 60mg uniquinone. Cheers!
You don’t have to have a high cholesterol to benefit from CoQ10 as it is so important for energy production in cells. I notice loss of oomph within a few days if I stop taking it!
There are so many supplements out there, it is a minefield to pick the best one. With CoQ10 the array to choose from is really confusing for the public.
I am so pleased to see a medical doctor also using naturopathic treatments and giving advice about these supplements. I can remember reading that the four best nutrients, especially for cardiovascular were: D-ribose, magnesium, CoQ10 and L-carnitine.
Magnesium is my choice, if I only had one to choose and that’s because it has changed my life. I have yet to try CoQ10 purely because I didn’t know which one to go for. Now I do! Ches
HI Ches, I take both magensium and CoQ10 every day as they both do something different and complement each other too. Both have beneficial effects on blood pressure, and people with higher magnesium levels tend to live longer than those with lower levels. WIn win!
Hi Sarah,
An excellent post on Co-Q10 and I learned some good information from it. I have been taking Co-Q10 for about 2 years now. I have taken both the Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol form, but I hadn’t heard of Mitoquinol. At the moment I’m taking a form called Ubidecarenone. I’m not sure how that compares to the other forms.
Since this targets directly the mitochondria, boosting their ATP production, I wonder if this has value as part of cancer therapy since cancer seems to be largely a metabolic disease. I just had a look and found some papers suggesting that this might be the case. There’s some great information on your website. Thanks!
Thanks Tim. Ubiquinone is a generic name while ubidecarenone is the ‘official’ name so they are the same molecule. As CoQ10 production declines with age (see http://drsarahbrewer.com/supplements/co-enzyme-q10/) it’s a great supplement for anyone over the age of 40 – especially if you are prone to fatigue. I certainly notice a difference if I run out of mine and stop taking it for just a few days. There’s some info here on how it helps reduce blood pressure https://mylowerbloodpressure.com/supplements/co-enzyme-q10 and here on how it may boost fertility http://drsarahbrewer.com/co-enzyme-q10-boosts-male-female-fertility. Difficult to make comments about cancer but as cells that are lacking in CoQ10 function less optimally it is a possiblity.
Hi Sarah
l always feel tired since I started on tamoxifen.
Does this supplement interact with tamoxifen?
Q10
Thanks
Mirene
Hi Mirene, According to Drugs.com interactions tool, there are currently no known interactions between tamoxifen and ubiquinol/ubiquinone (CoQ10). If you are feeling tired, however, do see your doctor in case you are anaemic, or have an underactive thyroid or other cause of your fatigue. Best wishes, Sarah B
Dear Dr. Brewer
Thank you for posting a review of Bio-Quinone Active CoQ10 Gold. Our pricing and availability in the US has changed. Our products are available at healthfood stores, through healthcare practitioners and online at http://www.pharmanord.com. The 150 softgel pack retails for $109.95 (60 softgels are available for $53.95).