Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound every cell makes to turn food into energy in its mitochondria. Food supplies only small amounts; supplements are the main way to take more.
10 units in its fatty tail, which give CoQ10 its number
Highest in the heart, liver and kidneys
Lowered by · statins, and age
- Made by the body Yes in every cell
- Two forms Ubiquinone and ubiquinol, its reduced form
- Evidence Limited small trials, mixed results
- Watch with Warfarin it may weaken its effect
Sources: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), biochemistry textbooks. Not medical advice.
CoQ10 in Food
Foods with many mitochondria, such as heart muscle, have the most. Even so, a normal diet gives only a small amount, far less than the supplements used in studies. The Caltide food library does not measure it.
- Organ meatsheart, liver and kidney are the richest
- Meat and oily fishbeef, pork, chicken, sardines and mackerel
- Oils, nuts and seedssoybean and canola oil, peanuts, pistachios and sesame seeds
- Vegetables and fruitsmall amounts, for example in broccoli, cauliflower and oranges
What Is CoQ10?
Inside each mitochondrion, food energy is passed down a chain of proteins as electrons, and the flow powers the making of ATP. CoQ10 is the shuttle in the middle of that chain: it picks up electrons from the first protein complexes and carries them to the next. Organs that burn the most energy, the heart above all, hold the most CoQ10.
Its second job is protection. In its reduced form, ubiquinol, it stops fats in cell membranes from being oxidized and helps recycle vitamin E back into its active form. Its name comes from its build: a ring that does the chemistry and a tail of 10 repeating units that anchors it inside fatty membranes.
CoQ10 and Statins
The body builds cholesterol and CoQ10 on the same production line, the mevalonate pathway. Statins lower cholesterol by blocking an enzyme near the start of that line, HMG-CoA reductase, so they lower CoQ10 too. People on statins have lower CoQ10 in their blood, which led to the idea that CoQ10 supplements might ease the muscle aches some people get on statins.
The idea has not held up clearly. Trials of CoQ10 for statin muscle symptoms have given mixed results, with some finding relief and others finding none. It is reasonable to ask a doctor about, not a proven fix.
What Human Studies Show About CoQ10
Heart failure: some trials found fewer hospital stays and deaths when CoQ10 was added to standard treatment, but they were small, and CoQ10 is not a replacement for prescribed drugs. Blood pressure: results are inconsistent, and a Cochrane review found no clear lowering. Migraine: a few small trials suggest it may make attacks less frequent.
Parkinson's disease is the clearest negative result. A large NIH-funded trial in people with early Parkinson's was stopped because CoQ10 showed no benefit over placebo.
Common CoQ10 Mistakes
Taking it on an empty stomach. CoQ10 dissolves in fat. Taken with a meal that has some fat in it, more of it is absorbed.
Assuming the label is exact. In the US, supplements do not need FDA approval before they are sold, and the FDA does not test what each bottle holds. A third-party seal, such as USP, means an outside lab tested the contents.
Forgetting it can act like a medicine. It can interfere with warfarin and may add to the effect of blood pressure medicines.
CoQ10 Supplements
Supplements are where almost all the CoQ10 in studies comes from. Absorption is low whichever form you choose, so the form matters less than taking it with food.
CoQ10 Supplement Forms
- Ubiquinonethe oxidized form, used in most research and most products
- Ubiquinolthe reduced form, usually more expensive; the body turns each into the other, and direct comparisons are few
- Softgel or powderCoQ10 dissolved in oil may be absorbed better than a dry powder capsule
CoQ10 Safety and Interactions
- Side effectsusually mild: upset stomach, nausea, trouble sleeping
- WarfarinCoQ10 may make it less effective
- Blood pressure medicinesCoQ10 may lower blood pressure a little further
- Pregnancynot enough is known about safety
Caltide does not total CoQ10 yet. Sources: NCCIH, NIH. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining a supplement with a medicine.
Coenzyme Q10 Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources.
Questions About Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, ubiquinone) is a fat-soluble compound that every cell makes. It carries electrons in the mitochondria, the step that turns food into ATP, and in its reduced form it protects cell membranes from oxidation.
The evidence is mixed. Statins lower blood CoQ10 because they block a step the body uses to make both cholesterol and CoQ10, but trials of CoQ10 for statin muscle pain have given conflicting results. Ask the doctor who prescribed the statin.
Not clearly. Ubiquinone is the oxidized form and ubiquinol the reduced one, and the body converts between them all the time. Few trials compare the two directly, so neither has been shown to be the better buy.
A little. Organ meats, meat, oily fish, nuts and some vegetable oils contain it, but the amounts in a normal diet are small. Studies that raise blood levels use supplements.
It may, but the evidence is limited. Some trials in people with heart failure found fewer hospital stays or deaths with CoQ10 added to standard treatment; the trials were small, and it does not replace prescribed medicines.
Yes. It may make the blood thinner warfarin less effective, and it may add to the effect of blood pressure medicines. Tell your doctor before starting it.
Yes, levels in the body decline with age, and they are also lower in some conditions such as heart disease. Whether supplements make up for this in healthy older people has not been shown.
Yes. It dissolves in fat, not water, and is poorly absorbed on its own, so it is taken with a meal that has some fat in it. Oil-filled softgels may be absorbed better than dry powder.
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